Bhut Jolokia Harvest and taste test.

Greenhouse with the still flowering pepper plants.

The plants are still flowering at this location in Northern California. Lack of good sunlight has caused tall spindly plants to flower late. Some have match head size peppers.
Not giving up, we plan to move some indoors as it is getting cooler.
Also in the near future we will clone some of the more healthy plants that survive this 'cooler than India' climate. The over all desire to develop a still pure strain of bhut jolokia that can grow in this climate that gets some snow and freezing temperatures.

The welcome sight of a honey bee resting on a hot pepper plant in the hothouse.

It has been noticed world wide that honey bees are disappearing. Stories of people doing the bees job by hand pollination are disturbing. The cause of this is unclear. Some theories include parasites and global warming(of course).

The hottest peppers in California the bhut jolokia.

Part of a burning hot harvest from plants moved to a garden that gets more light and better care than the plants pictured above in the greenhouse.
I ate one similar in size and color to the one pictured at far right. First I bit it in half, chewing it well. The burning sensation started at the tip of my tongue rising to my head right away. It felt as if steam was coming from my ears and the top of my head. After a sip of Gatorade I chewed the rest of the pepper up and swallowed it as well. Hiccups erupted as tears streamed down my face, the steaming head sensation increased. All I could say to my entertained friends was HOT over and over again in croaking whispers. As I drank more Gatorade, the cool drink gave only seconds of relief. After about twenty minutes the hiccups and tearing went away but the sweat and steaming sensation continued for another half hour or more. I walked home drenched in sweat leaving my friends laughing.
A couple of notes....I have done this with habeneros and they are not this hot. The bhut jolokia also has more of a chemical like taste that I noticed on the tip of my tongue before the surge of heat took my sense of taste away. It should also be mentioned that it was super hot in its passing as well!

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