Mind Blowing Chiles

Wednesday, 11 October, 2006

Mind Blowing Chiles

“When the results of the heat tests came back I was gobsmacked.” No pun intended, I’m sure. These words were spoken by Mrs. Joy Michaud of Dorset, England, as quoted from an article in the Times OnlIne. She and her husband Michael run a business called “Peppers by Post,” and have spent four years developing a chile called the Dorset Naga, apparently a cultivar of the Capsicum chinense, and at over 900,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), now the record holder for the world’s hottest chile, besting the previous record of a skimpy 577k SHU, previously held by the Red Savina, a variety of the Habañero.

When I first read the article, I saw the 1st April, 2006 date, and thought it might be just another ridiculous April Fool’s joke. A little additional searching turned up sufficient support to disprove that. This thing is real. And scary.

The Dorset Naga is a descendent of the Naga Morich, a variety originating in Bangladesh. Naga Morich means “Serpent Chile,” and some have described eating the fruit as being like “Drinking cobra venom,” not the most pleasant of images. It is apparently used in some Bangladeshi dishes, especially some fish curries, but very sparingly. Aktar Miha of the Indis Bangladeshi restaurant in Bournemouth, was quoted as saying: “Most people don’t cook with it; they just have it near to them when they eat. They just hold it by the stalk and touch their food with it. If you don’t know what you are doing it could blow your head off.” Ouch.

Everyone who knows me knows of my love for hot chiles. I grow several varieties myself, and love the wonderful and intriguing flavors the fiery fruit can add to spicy foods, in addition to their heat. Each pepper expresses its heat differently in food, and it’s fun to combine varieties to enhance the experience. But, even the mere idea of this ruthless and brutal, hell borne fruit is enough to send me running for cover. I’ll leave it for someone else to touch one to their food.

The Habañero, one of my faves, is devilishly hot, measuring 100-300,000 SHU. It’s got an engaging fragrance and a delightful, fruity, slightly floral flavor. If not treated with caution, however, it can be like a small, orange atomic hand grenade ready to explode in your mouth. When I first experimented with them, I used three in a small pot of vegetable curry, and the melange was inedible by anyone without an asbestos tongue. I was left with blisters on the backs of my fingers for days from cutting them before donning a hazmat suit. When I washed the cutting board, I choked on the pungent, toxic miasma released by the hot water; chopping the most odorous of onions is child’s play in comparison. I learned quickly, and painfully, to treat them with great care. I’ve developed a respectful relationship with the Habañero, and have learned to truly enjoy their unique qualities, as well as its cousin, the Caribbean Red, which is somewhat hotter, and has a more concentrated flavor. I’ve never ventured into the realm of the Red Savina, the previous record holder, and have little inclination in that direction any time soon.

But, something with three to nine times the explosive power of the Habañero is unthinkable, more like a portable hydrogen bomb, a culinary weapon of mass destruction than a delightful spice. The Michaud’s must be growing these things in plutonium-rich soil. I hope the Dorset Naga can be kept out of enemy hands.

Still, curiousity unsated, I looked further, and found this intriguing recipe for “Snake Bite Sauce.” Once the mental blistering from reading about this chile have healed, somewhat, I just may have to give it a try. If you don’t hear from me for a while, you’ll know why.

The inquisitive can read more information on the development of the Dorset Naga, and the truly intrepid can order the peppers directly from Peppers by Post. If you decide to try them, I wish you luck. Make sure someone is nearby to catch and reattach your head when it falls back to earth.

Addendum: After spending some time on Mark McMullan’s & Julian Livsey’s wonderful “The Chile Man’s” website, where I found the “Snake Bite Sauce” recipe, I strongly recommend anyone who has even a passing interest in the fiery fruit to visit. The information presented there is broad, with an exaustive searchable database, tips, growing guides and lovely photographs of some rarely seen pods. It is the resource for the hot-heads amongst us. I’ve only begun to plumb the depths of this site, and have found it not only very educational, but also immensely enjoyable. Nice work!

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