What is a ghost pepper.

The Bhut Jolokia also known as Ghost Pepper has been around for several centuries and it is thought to have originated in Assam, India. The word Bhut, given from the Bhutias people, denotes "ghost" and was perhaps given the name because of the way the heat sneaks up on the one who eats it.

Occasionally also called Naga Jolokia, it is a naturally occurring hybrid of 2 pepper species – Capsicum chinense and Capsicum frutescens. The pepper is found in numerous states in the northeastern corner of India, where it was consumed and farmed by locals before the Guinness title gave it potential as an export.

Ghost peppers belong to the same type as the completely spice less bell pepper and, like all peppers (except black pepper, which is a totally different kind of plant), are part of the nightshade family.

Just as the bell pepper does, ghost peppers start out green and then developed to a red or orange shade. However , ghost peppers have a much thinner skin, an elongated shape and a notably crinkly exterior. A pepper’s heat can be influenced by growth environment, so not every Bhut Jolokia scores the same on the Scoville scale. Its higher limit is given as 1,041,427 SHU.

Pepper aficionados who are also avid gardeners know the frustration of discovering a new and obscure pepper variety, only to find that seeds are hard to find or exorbitantly expensive. The Bhut Jolokia, or ghost pepper, is in that category.

Fortunately, this beautiful pepper is becoming widely available as a dried food in grocery and specialty stores. Only peppers that are naturally dried under relatively cool conditions will contain viable seeds for sprouting though, so never use smoked or processed peppers if you want to germinate seed. Find tips to germinate seeds from dried ghost peppers from Homeguides.sfgate.com.

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