Ghost pepper

The ghost pepper, or bhut jolokia, is a chili pepper cultivar from northeastern India and a hybrid of Capsicum chinense and Capsicum frutescens. Its exceptionally high capsaicin content gives it intense heat.

Capsicum chinense: A domesticated chili pepper species that includes several notably pungent cultivars. One parent species in the ghost pepper’s hybrid ancestry.
Northeastern India: A region of India comprising states including Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur. The ghost pepper originated in this region.
Naga cuisine: The food traditions of the Naga peoples, spanning northeastern India and neighboring areas. Ghost pepper is used in regional cooking, including Naga dishes.
Naga Viper: A British-bred chili pepper cultivar developed from several exceptionally hot peppers, including bhut jolokia. It followed the ghost pepper in the contest to produce record-setting chili heat.
Capsicum frutescens: A chili pepper species that includes tabasco peppers and other pungent cultivars. The second species in the ghost pepper’s hybrid ancestry.
Assam: A state in northeastern India known for the Brahmaputra valley and diverse agricultural traditions. The pepper is especially associated with Assam.
Assamese cuisine: The culinary traditions of Assam, shaped by local ingredients and regional food practices. The pepper appears in the cuisine of its home region.
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion: A chili pepper cultivar from Trinidad known for exceptionally high pungency. Its later record-setting heat displaced the ghost pepper’s former prominence.
Capsaicin: A pungent compound in chili peppers that activates heat-sensitive pain receptors. This compound produces much of the ghost pepper’s burning sensation.
Bhut jolokia etymology: The linguistic history of the name bhut jolokia, commonly glossed as “ghost chili.” The name’s “ghost” element helped give the pepper its familiar English name.

Linked from 1 page

HabaneroCompared with: It is substantially hotter than a typical habanero and belongs to a different pepper lineage.