# Ghost Pepper

Also known as Bhut Jolokia, Bhut Jolokia Pepper, Ghost Chile, Naga Jolokia, Umorok.
Species: Capsicum chinense.

Ghost Pepper is a Capsicum chinense landrace from Assam, India. Capsi’s sourced range is 143,125–1,938,089 SHU (Lab-verified). Flavor is sweet, fruity, floral, tropical, intense. Used for hot sauces, salsas, marinades, curries, chili powders. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
About 40 times a Capsi Jalapeño (25,086 SHU typical).

## Heat sources

- 855,000 SHU · Lab-verified
  Mathur R, Dangi RS, Das SC, Malhotra RC (2000) Current Science 79(3):287–288
  http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/aug102000/scr974.pdf

- 1,001,304 SHU · Lab-verified
  Bosland PW, Baral JB (2007) HortScience 42(2):222–224 · HPLC
  DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.42.2.222
  https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.42.2.222

- 1,019,687 SHU · Lab-verified
  Bosland, P. W., Coon, D., & Reeves, G. (2012) HortTechnology 22(4):534-538 · HPLC
  DOI: 10.21273/HORTTECH.22.4.534
  https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.22.4.534

- 1,938,089 SHU · Lab-verified
  Liliana S. Muñoz-Ramírez et al. (2018) HortScience · HPLC
  DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI13574-18
  https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13574-18

- 143,125–177,741 SHU · Lab-verified
  Malak Alghamdi, Thirumurugan Rathinasabapathy, Slavko Komarnytsky (2025) Int. J. Mol. Sci. · HPLC
  DOI: 10.3390/ijms26104916
  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104916

- 1,000,000 SHU · Official breeder
  New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute
  https://cpi.nmsu.edu/chile-info/heat.html

## Heritage

Landrace

Ghost Pepper is a traditional landrace.

Peppers bred from Ghost Pepper:
- [Bhut Orange Copenhagen](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/bhut-orange-copenhagen)
- [Bhutlah](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/bhutlah)
- [Blood Ghost Pepper](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/blood-ghost-pepper)
- [Mantis Claw Red](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/mantis-claw-red)
- [Mantis Claw Yellow](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/mantis-claw-yellow)
- [Bengal Naga Pepper](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/bengal-naga-pepper)
- [Purple Thunder](https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/purple-thunder)

Bosland and Baral list Bhut Jolokia among Northeast Indian landraces; later Indian papers say farmers have kept it since ancient times. RAPD notes natural chinense–frutescens introgression, not a named cultivar cross.

## Page sources

- [Detailed botany, SHU tests, morphology with primary citations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_pepper)
- [Flavor, heat, culinary uses and guide from PepperScale](https://pepperscale.com/ghost-pepper/)
- [NMSU Chile Pepper Institute tested heat levels](https://cpi.nmsu.edu/chile-info/heat.html)
- [Encyclopedic history and characteristics](https://www.britannica.com/plant/ghost-pepper)
- [Bosland 2007 primary scientific paper (NMSU identification/SHU)](https://asi.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk5751/files/inline-files/pepperproject-bhutjolokiahortsciart_0.pdf)

## FAQ
### How hot is Ghost Pepper?

Capsi’s sourced range is 143,125–1,938,089 SHU (Lab-verified). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat

### What does Ghost Pepper taste like?

Surprisingly sweet and fruity with strong floral and tropical notes (mango, pineapple) underneath the extreme heat. The burn is fierce and long-lasting, but the flavor remains complex and pleasant.

### How do I grow Ghost Pepper?

Ghost Pepper: about 150 days to maturity, tropical humid, long season climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.

### What can I substitute for Ghost Pepper?

Trinidad Scorpion, Carolina Reaper

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/ghost-pepper
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data