Re: [CH] Naga Jolokia
Dave Drum (xrated@famvid.com)
Wed, 31 Jan 2001 20:02:30 -0600
Frank Francisco wrote:
>
> Has the Red Savana Habanero met its match? A Washington Post article in the
> Food section says that "the habanero was recently usurped in hotness by the
> naga jolokia from India". Any body have any seeds?
According to Chile Pepper Magazine it's doubtful.... here's the article
from the Hot Flashes section of the Feb 2001 issue....
TIME FOR A RECOUNT?
Four scientists working for the Defence Research Laboratories (DRL) of
India in Gwalior and Tezpur published a report in the August 10, 2000
issue of "Current Science" that announced to the waiting,
capsicum-craving masses that they had discovered the hottest cultivated
pepper known to the entire world, the "Tezpur Chilli" (capsicum
frutescens var. Nagahari)
According to "Current Science", the scientists, Drs. Ritesh Mathur, R.S.
Dangi, S.C. Dass, and R.C. Malhotra were looking for chiles that had the
highest levels of potency so that the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin
could be extracted for use as the primary compound in riot control
agents. The scientists compared the heat of various peppers grown in
India using the high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) data
recorded in their laboratories. They claim the results indicated that
the Tezpur chile is significantly hotter than any other pepper
previously tested. Their test ranks the "Tezpur chilli" or "Naga
Jolokia" at 855,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) compared to a relatively
mile 577,000 SHU for the previous chart topper, the Mexican "Red Savina"
Habanero.
When Chile Pepper first heard the new we contacted Paul Bosland at the
Chile Pepper Institute at New MExico State University. He had heard of
the report, but did not have any information about the pepper at that
time. We wanted to get our hands on some of the peppers, so Chile Pepper
contacted the U.S. Foriegn Agricultural Service in New Dehli and were
told that Reimer Seeds in Mt. Holly, North Carolina sold NAga Jolika
seeds through their web site <www.reimerseeds.com> under the name
"Indian PC-1". Chile Pepper contacted Donald Reimer about the indian
PC-1 pepper seeds and he said that he receives orders from all over the
world for the PC-1 seeds. When he first heard of Naga Jolokia, he
contacted his seed suppliers about it, and they told him that the Indian
PC-1 seeds are, actually, Naga Jolokia seeds. Apparently the seeds are
available in the U.S., but, there is still the question of the Naga
Jololia's pungency
Chile Pepper contacted Frank Garcia at GNS Spices, the developer of the
"Red Savina" habanero, and asked him his opinion of the Naga Jolokia
story. Garcia is skeptical od the report in "Current Science". He would
like several independent labs to test his peppers agains the Naga
Jolokia to see which peppers are really the hottest.
Paul Bosland agrees. Bosland is concerned about the methodology of the
testing, including the calibration of the instruments and the
preparation of the chiles. Also, the Naga Jolokia is said to be of the
frutescens species, and no frutescens has ever been tested to anywhere
near that level of pungency.
As for the opinion of the Indian scientists, Chile Pepper e-mailed them
tywo months ago, but had not received a rely as of press time.
-----
Shamelessly copied without permission but as verbatim as I could make it
from the pages of the Febtuary 2001 Chile Pepper Magazine.
ENJOY!!!
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UNCLE DIRTY DAVE'S KITCHEN --
Home of Yaaaaa Hooooo Aaahhh!!! HOT SAUCE and Hardin Cider