Pepper, Chocolate Ghost

Believed to be a natural variant of the red ghost pepper, Chocolate ghost chile peppers range 800,000 to 1,001,304 SHU on the Scoville scale and have a scorching, lingering heat that can last more than thirty minutes after consumption. The infamous ghost pepper is a devil of a chili: A slightly sweet super-hot with a deceiving slow burn. And its cousin Bhut Jolokia Chocolate (a.k.a. ghost pepper chocolate) follows suit, but with a twist beyond its dark complexion. It has a more subtle flavor – slightly sweeter with a hint of smoky – that’s reminiscent of other “chocolate” chili varieties like chocolate habaneros and chocolate scorpion peppers. Used with extreme care, it’s delicious in extreme barbecue sauces, hot sauces, and marinades. How hot is Bhut Jolokia Chocolate? It’s on par with the typical red ghost pepper (855,000 to1,041,427 SHU), with a slightly lower minimum and maximum heat (800,000 to 1,001,304 SHU). In terms of our jalapeño reference point that’s 100 to 400 times hotter than a jalapeño.