The Nagabon Chili actually has two main sub-species, the Nagabon Jolokia and the Nagabon Viper. The Nagabon Jolokia chili pepper, rating at a scorching 800,000 SHU, is a two-way cross between the Bhut Jolokia pepper and the Scotch Bonnet pepper. It resembles the appearance of a Habanero, except that it’s about three to four times hotter! The plant itself grows to be over a meter in height and produces a large yield of peppers, similar to its ancestor plant, the Scotch Bonnet pepper. The peppers of the Nagabon Jolokia plant ripen from a green to a red color. Amazingly, those who were brave enough to eat the pepper claimed that it has a sweet taste.
However, its hotter cousin, the Nagabon Viper, is said to be one of the hottest chili peppers in the world according to the Guinness World Records in 2011. The pepper measures out to a hellish 1,382,118 SHU, being almost twice as hot as the Nagabon Jolokia pepper! Just like the Nagabon Jolokia pepper, it looks very similar to the Habanero pepper and is dark red when ripe.
Origins
Nobody would have ever thought that it was actually bred by a chili farmer in England named Gerald Fowler. The Nagabon Viper is said to be an unstable three-way hybrid between the Naga Morich, the Bhut Jolokia, and the Trinidad Scorpion. Because of this, it’s unable to produce offspring that has the exact same traits as its parent plant. So in other words, if someone were to plant these seeds, they would wind up with plants that have different characteristics. Fortunately though, this can be stabilized with careful selective breeding of many generations.
Cultivation
Overall, both of these peppers are very easy to grow and are great for first-timers. Not only are they easy to grow, but their growth rate is very fast. Since these peppers are so potent and hot, they can make loads of hot sauce. Although some may not like the idea of the Nagabon Chili peppers having unstable genetics, it gives the grower the option of breeding the chili plants to their liking. Believe it or not, these peppers can be bought over amazon. Just make sure to be careful with handling as they are extremely hot.
How accurate is this article? We are striving to become the ultimate resource for information on peppers, and if you notice any inaccuracies, or want to contribute content, please contact us.
Photo Credit: We Need One!
