Things heat up!!

The Bhut Jalakia has reigned supreme as the hottest pepper on the planet with a rating of 1,041,427 Scoville heat units(the standard scale for measuring piquancy of a chili). Suddenly the North East of India had everyone's attention - never mind the fact that more than half the world depends on us for their morning "cuppa" or that we have the only game sanctuary in the world with the endangered one-horned Rhino in its untouched natural environment. The world sits up and takes notice of this remote area where the fiery pepper grows wild.
Gordon Ramsay is hugely entertaining in his series "The Great Escape" where he travels through India and dedicates an entire episode to Assam. He watches on with disbelief as local celebrity Anandita Tamuli stuffs her face with the peppers and appears positively aghast when she casually breaks them open and rubs them in her eyes. I was thrilled to bits watching it unfold- not only do we have the hottest peppers in the world but our women kick ass!

This pepper is versatile in its uses; not only is it an important component in a variety of condiments and spice powders but is an active ingredient in grenades used by the Indian army for mob control. This alone makes it a valuable commodity and sends prices sky rocketing. Processors export a large percentage of the products, leaving little for domestic markets. Unfortunately in a competitive world the Bhut Jalakia's glory days are numbered. It is about to be ousted from its hot seat by the Infinity chili a hybrid developed in Grantham, England. Eating an Infinity has been likened to "eating red-hot coals", scorching the mouth and stomach and causing burns and ulcers. Rating at 1,067,286 Scoville heat units, it is highly unlikely that it will be considered edible. That is, unless they come up with a clone of Anandita Tamuli!