Naga Morich
Heat	Exceptionally hot
Scoville scale	SR: >1,000,000[1] SHU

The Naga Morich is a chili pepper originally grown in Bangladesh. There is no consensus on whether this is synonymous with the Bhut Jolokia, or a different variety. It is also one of the hottest known chilli peppers and the only naturally occurring chili pepper that measures 1 million SHU on Scoville scale. Morich is the word for chilli pepper in Bengali (মরিচ), with similar words in Assamese: (মৰিচ) (moris), Nepali, Hindi (मिर्च) and the languages of Nagaland and Manipur. Naga Morich is registered under the Geographical Indications (GI) of Nagaland by Government of India.^[2]

Plant characteristics[edit]

Like many varieties of the Chinense species, the Naga Morich is a small-medium shrub with large leaves, small, five-petaled flowers, and blisteringly hot fruit. It differs to the Bhut Jolokia and Bih Jolokia in that it is slightly smaller with a pimply ribbed texture as opposed to the smoother flesh of the other two varieties.

Distribution[edit]

The Naga is a naturally occurring species in Bangladesh and North East India, more specifically in Nagaland, Manipur and Assam.

They are also grown in the United States, United Kingdom (as subspecies Dorset Naga) and Australia for the production of hot sauces, and in Finland, where it is mainly sold fresh in supermarkets.

Culinary usage[edit]

The Naga Morich chili is extremely hot, but has a flavor that is quite unique.^{[clarification needed]} Like the Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper), it has a sweet and slightly tart flavor, followed by slight undertones of woody, smoky flavors. The chili is well suited for BBQ and grilling due to its unique flavor profile.^{[citation needed]}

See also[edit]

• Scoville scale, a measurement of the pungency ("spicy heat") of a chili pepper.
• Pungency

References[edit]