Ghost peppers are challenging. I’ve always said they’ve been my bogeyman so far. They’re not a white whale as I’ve handled them, but they can be…tough to digest! Unlike sugar, as Mary Poppins would sing, can help make the medicine go down – A spoonful of Bhut Jolokia and you’ll likely need medicine!
OK, that is an exaggeration (sort of), but what’s the deal with this spicy pepper? Do a quick Google or Wikipedia search and you will find that it is one of THE spiciest peppers naturally known to mankind. In fact, until 2007, it was the hottest one known to mankind (based on spice units – something I will cover in a future post), but as of this writing, has taken the Bronze award (3rd place) in the ongoing Spice Olympics…
Given its insane heat intensity, how can you best enjoy this magnificent creation of Mother Nature? There are plenty of sauces out there that use ghost peppers. I recently had a post on one of those (and more posts will come on this awesome pepper and its derivatives!). But if you want something a tad more intense, especially when cooking (as opposed to a basic condiment), might I recommend the Bhut Jolokia powder.
Being a powder, there is no water or other ingredients to potentially reduce the spicy effect and the dryness of the powder adds to the intensity. I use it sparingly when cooking. Even just a dash and the wife and kids are complaining they need a respirator, but if you’re looking to heat up your stir fry, curry or just want something more daring on your pizza, pasta or omelettes, to list a few, then give it a shot!
Spice on, my friends!
