Bhut Jolokia Pepper Review

The Bhut Jolokia, aka Ghost Pepper, is one of my favorite peppers. The fiery super hot produces a flavor profile that I just can’t get enough of, as well as a level of heat that hits just the right marks for my personal heat tolerances. I’m always up for a challenge in terms of Scoville limits, but I always seem to come back to the Bhut Jolokia, time and again.

I’ve reviewed this pepper before (2016 review here), but have determined with the variations and possible cross-pollination with each season, I’m going to go ahead and sample a pod for review each year. And besides, just look at that pepper up there — how could I not want to cut that wrinkled, twisted beast open and inflict a little pain on my senses?

Once this big pod was sliced open, pools of oil collected in just about every twist and turn. The placenta runs the entire length from stem to tip of the thin-walled fruit. Other than the multitude of folds, it looks like your standard Bhut Jolokia.

The fruity and floral aroma on this one just about caused me to start drooling, despite it “feeling” a bit subdued compared to other examples of the pepper I’ve had previously. Once you crunch through that thin, yet sturdy flesh the citrusy fruit and floral notes are echoed with that classic bhut flavor. The pepper is clean and tasty!

And the heat is spot on, as well, building swiftly to a full mouth burn that encompasses the entire tongue and roof before slowly creeping down the throat. The eyes water slightly as a light sheen of sweat starts to form on the brow. The heat, at its peak, lasts for a decent while before eventually deciding that you’ve had enough.

I typically dry and grind just about all the peppers I grow, but I love to keep a few Bhut Jolokias around in the fridge to toss into tacos or even on top of a cheese burger. I just can’t get enough of these fiery peppers. And now that I’ve got the seeds for the twisted specimen above, I’m hoping I’ll get even more gnarly pods next grow season.