[CH] Something from a local paper...
Brent Hudson (brent@moonlighting.co.za)
Mon, 4 Sep 2000 16:53:46 +0200
Ole! Indian chilli is hotter than Mexico's
September 04 2000 at 01:33PM
Guwahati, India - The hottest chilli on earth is Indian.
Four Indian scientists have discovered that a type of chilli grown in the
country's north-east has the highest Scoville units of pure capsaicin - a
measure of hotness.
Called the Tezpur chilli, after the area where it is grown, scientists say
the pepper has beaten Mexico's Red Savina Habanero, widely acclaimed as the
hottest chilli in the world.
Tezpur lies on the banks of the river Brahmaputra about 180km from Guwahati,
the main city of Assam, which is better known for its flavoursome tea than
its chillis.
"The Tezpur chilli was rated having 855 000 Scoville units ... the Mexican
chilli contained 557 000 Scoville units of pure capsaicin," said one of the
scientists, who asked not to be identified.
The scientists work in defence laboratories in Guwahati and Gwalior.
The Scoville scale is named after German scientist Wilbur Scoville, the
first to measure the heat component in chillis.
India is the world's top producer of chillis, exporting an estimated 35 tons
a year. - Reuters