Calling all pepperhead’s… this post is for you. Today, I want to touch on (but not ACTUALLY touch) the Bhut Jolokia pepper.

This little bundle of pure heat measures a whopping 1,001,304 SHU’s. The ONLY thing hotter is pure capsaicin, the substance that makes peppers hot in the first place.

The term SHU’s refers to Scoville Heat Units, named after Dr. Wilber Scoville. He came up with this testing method, in 1912. On the scale, zero represents no heat whatsoever. So, in a nutshell, that means the higher the number, the hotter the pepper.

This is how some other peppers rate on the scale:

• Habanero – 100,000 to 450,000 SHU’s
• Thai or Pepin – 50,000 to 100,000 SHU’s
• Tabasco or Cayenne – 30,000 to 50,000 SHU’s
• Serrano – 5,000 to 15,000 SHU’s
• Jalapeno – ONLY 2,500 to 5,000 SHU’s
• Green Bell – 0 to 100 SHU’s

When handling the world’s hottest pepper, it is imperative that you wear rubber gloves. This will help to prevent any burning, of the skin.

Merchants that sell Bhut Jolokia peppers recommend that you use a pepper grinder to prepare (dried peppers) and serve them, because such a small amount is needed.

In the event that your skin starts burning, rinsing it with whole milk will help to ease the discomfort.

Photo by: L’eau Bleue @ Flickr.com