Pineapple Ghost Pepper Review
One of the most prolific and tastier peppers I grew this year was the Pineapple Ghost – a cross by John Varaday between a Bhut Jolokia and an Aji Pineapple. The filial generation on these at the time of my purchase was still at F2, so some variations were to be expected. That said, every single ripe fruit (roughly 150) that I picked from the plant looked just like photo below.
The Pineapple Ghost, as you can see, has smooth, yellow skin. What you may not be able to tell from the photo is the size of these things. Each pod was nearly three inches in length and half that around the middle. These peppers are massive! Once cut open, the pod presents a thicker than expected wall of flesh and a small cluster of seeds at the stem. For the most part, the interior looks fairly tame.
On the nose, the aroma is fruity with light floral notes, lemony citrus and a hint of grass. It smells pretty darn good. Chewing through the softish flesh, we get a Ghost-like fruitiness and floral notes up front. A touch of bitterness and lemon zest mingle in the background. So far, it tastes pretty darn good, as well.
The heat hits before you even really start chewing – it comes on that quickly. The experience accelerates rapidly causing hiccups, a light tearing of the eyes and a thin sheen of sweat on the brow in under a minute. The plateau encapsulates the entire tongue and back of the throat, developing a light whiskey chest with each swallow. For as swiftly as it arrives, the burn is not overly aggressive in nature. It eventually fades after a short-lived peak with a deliberate slowness, trailing a light stinging sensation.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Pineapple Ghost. It’s got a great flavor that would compliment just about any other ingredient you would pair it with for a sauce. The burn is top notch without inducing panic. Hell, the plant even looks good out in the garden, packed with giant yellow pods. I will most certainly be keeping this on the “grow again” list for some time in the future. I just need to get through all the peppers I stored in the freezer first.