Just how high is the latest heat level of the ghost pepper?
The ghost pepper is abundantly produced in the mountainous areas of northeastern India. Because it is extremely spicy, locals call it “ghost pepper.” This chili was confirmed by Guinness World Records as the world's hottest chili. After becoming famous overnight, it quickly swept the world and became a common food on local residents' dining tables. Locals believe that the extremely strong spiciness of this chili is enough to scare away ghosts, hence the name “ghost pepper.”
The ghost pepper became famous for its heat, with a spiciness exceeding 1 million “Scoville” units, and was confirmed by Guinness as the world's hottest chili. “Scoville” is the unit of chili pungency; the commonly regarded hottest Mexican red chili has a spiciness of only 10,000 “Scoville” units. This chili is routine food for locals, but outsiders still “fear it somewhat.” A reporter bought a jin of dried “ghost peppers” at a vegetable market, tasted a little while eating, and tears and mucus immediately streamed out, after which he did not dare eat it again.
Besides being eaten, the ghost pepper is also often used locally to treat stomach ailments and relieve heat. It is generally believed that patients with stomach ailments should most avoid spicy food, but a type of chili produced in India is actually a good medicine for treating stomach ailments. This red chili, grown in the mountainous areas of Assam in northeastern India, is thumb-sized and extremely spicy. Locals cannot do without this chili at every meal; just as people from Shandong eat scallions wrapped in flatbread, they eat red chilies raw wrapped in flatbread.
Even a small bite of the ghost pepper is unbearably spicy. Eating a small slice of raw “ghost pepper” can make a person's tears and mucus flow freely, and a whole “ghost pepper” is simply a severe assault on the sensory organs. Some say that feeling is like drinking a cocktail mixed from battery fluid and glass shards. Doctors in India say many people are also very puzzled by this, but they guess that this medicinal effect of the chili may only suit local people's stomachs; for outsiders, it may not only fail to be an antidote for stomach ailments, but instead become poison.
After the ghost pepper entered Guinness, it became famous overnight, and its price also rose rapidly. Today, each kilogram of “ghost pepper” sells for 250 rupees (about 6.2 US dollars), an increase of 50 rupees (about 1.24 US dollars) over the original price. To satisfy the fervent mood of chili lovers worldwide who want to “taste it for pleasure,” various parties in India have actively prepared to meet the surge in demand. Farmers are freeing up more land to grow “ghost peppers,” chili exporters are actively seeking cooperation with the same international chili enthusiasts association, and government officials are busy discussing further development plans for the “ghost pepper.”