GHOST CHILI PEPPER: CHARACTERISTICS, CULTIVATION AND USES - NUTRITION - 2025

The ghost chili pepper is one of the spiciest plant species belonging to the Capsicum genus. It is a plant that grows in floodplains located in Brahmaputra, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and in other regions of India. Likewise, it is cultivated in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It is known worldwide by various names, including naga jolokia, ghost chili, bih jolokia, and ghost pepper.

Scientists conducted a study of the polymorphic DNA of the ghost chili pepper and established that it is an interspecific hybrid between Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum chinense.

Ghost chili pepper. Source: Asit K. ghosh Thaumaturgist

This herbaceous plant, which can measure up to 1.20 meters, produces elongated fruits, approximately 8 centimeters long. They exist in three different colors: light red, orange and dark red. Occasionally, some ghost chillies may have a chocolate color when the fruit reaches maturity.

In 2007, this pepper was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest chili pepper, with a value of 1,001,304 Scoville SHU. However, in 2011 it was replaced by the Trinidad Scorpion chile.

characteristics

The ghost chilli is a plant with variable characteristics. Its fruits can vary in size, color, shape and production per plant. Furthermore, this species offers great potential to develop varieties that enhance some of its properties.

It is a herbaceous plant that could grow between 45 and 120 centimeters, although exceptionally it could reach 2.5 meters. Its stem is branched and green. The number of primary branches could be between 7 and 18.

In relation to the leaf, it has petioles up to 2 centimeters long. It is green in color and measures between 10.65 and 14.25 centimeters long. The width could be 5.4 to 7.5 centimeters.

The flowers are found in groups, made up of two or more specimens. They have five white petals with a slight greenish hue. On these the anthers stand out, colored light purple.

Fruit

As for the fruit, it is a conical or sub-conical berry. Once ripe, they are between 6 and 8 centimeters long and about 3 centimeters wide. Also, it could weigh 7 to 9 grams. Inside it could have between 19 and 35 seeds, of a light brown color.

The coloration could be red, yellow, orange or chocolate, like a quite exotic variety of this species. The surface of the ghost chili pepper may be smooth, rough, or rough.

Chemical composition

According to studies, the fruit of this species contains various capsaicinoids, responsible for its spicy flavor. Thus, it has capsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, homocapsaicin and homodihydro capsaicin.

Dihydrocapsaicin and capsaicin are present to a greater degree, almost 90%. Likewise, the fruit is a source of ascorbic acid, minerals and natural colorants, such as carotenoids and anthocyanins.

Capsaicin

The itchiness of ghost chili peppers is caused by a substance known as capsaicin. This is produced both in the vesicles located around the seeds, as in all the fruit.

This phytochemical compound stimulates the body's nociceptors, responsible for reacting to burning and pain. In this way, the more of this chemical element the food contains, the greater the irritation it causes.

The Scoville scale measures the level of pungency caused by a food. Bhut jolokia, as the ghost chilli is also known, is rated 1,001,304 Scoville SHU. For comparison, the Tabasco red pepper has 2,500 to 5,000 SHU and pure capsaicin has 16,000,000 SHU.

Culture

The growth rate of this plant is fast, so it could produce, from the first year, a significant amount of fruits. However, it is sensitive to cold, so in climates where temperatures could drop below 5 ° C, it is usually grown as an annual horticultural plant.

Traditional practices

Traditionally farmers tend to cultivate the ghost chilli in rice fields, intercropped, or where there were bamboo canes. They also do it in home gardens.

In general, the seeds are sown from February to March and after two months they are transplanted to the main field. The usual harvest is between August and September.

There are some diseases that attack the ghost pepper. These include infestations of aphids and fungi, which cause rot in the ripe fruit, as well as a slow wilting of the same.

Modern practices

Sowing

The seeds are sown in spring, after being submerged in water for 24 hours. It is advisable to sow two per pot, with a nutritious substrate and good drainage.

Regarding the location, the seedbed should be in an area where it receives the sun directly, preferably during most of the day. Germination will occur in a period of 15 days.

Transplant

When the seedlings reach around 5 centimeters it is time to transplant them. Ideally, it should be done in a pot of 20 centimeters in diameter, containing soil with a cultivation soil.

After watering it, it is placed in a semi-shady area. It should stay there until new leaves start to grow, at which point it can be put in a sunny spot.

When the plant has a height between 15 and 20 centimeters, it can be transplanted into a larger pot or garden. In this case, the seedlings should be sown in rows, with a distance of 30 to 35 centimeters between each one.

In addition, it is advisable to place stakes, so that the weight of the fruits does not affect the growth of the stem.

Care

The ghost chilli plant needs frequent watering, three to four times a week. Likewise, the land requires frequent fertilization. In relation to pruning, to increase production, experts recommend leaving three main branches.

Also, it is necessary to cut the leaves that rub the ground and the shoots that may appear on the main trunk.

Applications

The ghost chilli is used as a spice and as a food. Thus, it is used dry or fresh to add a spicy touch to pickles, curries and chutneys. Also, it is usually combined with pork or dried fish.

In addition, it is part of many sauces and stews. In many chicken and meat preparations, it is used as a marinade, to accentuate the typical flavors of traditional dishes.

Therapeutic use

Various research works have shown that capsaicinoids have analgesic, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties. In addition to this, they could be beneficial for the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems.

Experimental evidence indicates that this phytochemical substance alters the expression of some genes related to the development of cancer cells.

Traditional medicine

Because capsaicin can dilate blood vessels, it may provide relief in chronic congestion conditions, such as asthma.

Furthermore, it stimulates the secretion of gastric juices and saliva, thus contributing to the protection of the intestinal mucosa.

Traditionally, the phantom chilli is used to reduce muscle pain resulting from heavy work. Likewise, hot infusions of the fruits are used against toothache.

With the tender leaves you can make a paste, which is applied on the boils, eliminating the pus that may exist in them. These, applied directly on the joints, contribute to the ailments of arthritis.

References

1. Wikipedia (2019). Capsicum chinense. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.
2. Clark R, Lee SH. (2016). Anticancer Properties of Capsaicin Against Human Cancer. Recovered from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
3. Raktim Ranjan Bhagowati, Sapu Changkija (2009). Genetic Variability and Traditional Practices in Naga King Chili Landraces of Nagaland. Recovered from environmentportal.in.
4. Roy A. (2016). Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum Chinense Jaqc). International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. Recovered from ijpsr.com.
5. Paul W. Bosland, Jit B. Bara (2007). Bhut Jolokia'-The World's Hottest Known Chile Pepper is a Putative Naturally Occurring Interspecific Hybrid. Recovered from journals.ashs.org.
6. Wikipedia (2019). Bhut jolokia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.