If you’re literally, a hot head when it comes to your food, then you’ll find the Naga Viper Pepper more than interesting. As of December 3, 2010, the Naga Viper is the Guiness Book of World Records champ as the “hottest chili on Earth” with 1,359,000 Scoville units, over 300 points higher than the Naga Jolokia pepper (ghost pepper).
This weapon for gastronomic destruction is developed by farmer and pub owner Gerald Fowler of The Chili Peper Company, and used three of the spiciest peppers to birth its hybrid: The previous record holder Naga Jolokia, Naga Morich and the Trinidad Hybrid. Anyone would instantly think that the Naga Viper is India or Mexico, but surprisingly, the hybrid was developed in Britain.
So how spicy are Naga vipers? A usual jalapeno chili pepper scores between 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, an intensity that can send any beginner to tears, but the Naga Viper scores way beyond—with a spice akin to 500 jalapeno peppers all at once. The Naga Viper farmer claims that the spice of this new record holder is “painful to eat” and is “enough to strip paint” off any surface. One could only imagine its effect when eaten and it could be a tongue-scorching ordeal that requires the skills only chili pepper enthusiasts have. Its physical features are strikingly similar to what ghost peppers look like, and is as hard to cultivate. The first dish that incorporated the use of the Naga Viper is a chili-based curry that Fowler made, which requires people to sign a waiver before trying the dish out as if it’s a life threatening experience. Although it may seem impossible to eat, it won’t be long until more recipes are developed once chefs all over the world get a taste of this new world record holder.
It is clear that not everyone can handle the intense taste of the Naga Viper pepper, and it is smart to test out the waters and try the ghost pepper before aiming to conquer it. If a ghost pepper is already too much for you, then maybe tasting the Naga Viper is still a shot to the moon.
