An interesting research about chinenses

[Aji Inferno]

Triniman found this: http://www.cardi.org/publications/proceedings/hotpepper/4.5.html

Well worth reading!

[JohnF]

Thanks for the link!

[Nike]

Quite high Scoville- readings in that chart; I wonder how they ended up with figures over 1,000,000 for Scorpion?

[Aji Inferno]

Quite high Scoville- readings in that chart; I wonder how they ended up with figures over 1,000,000 for Scorpion?

... and if those figures are even somewhat accurate, that means almost deadly heat! On par with Blair's 2AM sauce - and that's LETHAL!  :twisted:

But seriously, it's interesting how we've lately seen reports from truly HOT chinenses from India, Caribbea, etc. Then again, if our own chili scientist Fatalii grew, as it happened, "Fatalii" chili here in finland with measured strength of almost 500.000 SHU, perhaps it's not at all impossible to find an even stronger variety which (in tropical conditions) could reach twice that heat. It seems to me like we're only starting to learn about these devils...

[cmpman1974]

Yes, I have read that CARDI article many times.  Very interesting information.  Yes, the heat levels seem extraordinarily high; however, I hear Trinidad Scorpion is incredibly hot.  

I think you are right when you say that there may be very hot versions virtually unknown if grown under the proper conditons.  

That's what I really enjoy about this hobby.  So much to learn and experiment with.

Chris

[Triniman]

Hi all,

It would be nice to find someone at UWI to discuss their work with local chilies.

As for the measurements of scoville units, whether they are accurate or not; University of West Indies does serious research on agricultural issues, so as such I do not doubt that their measurements would be any less or more accurate than similar measurements done in other institutes. What is interesting, I find, is the reference to local conditions for obtaining such amouns of heat in the chilies. This gives us here in the North a reason to believe we face a real challenge in obtaining serious levels of heat in our homegrown chilies!

I enjoy the C. chinense varieties for their lovely fruity flavour, hot or not. Some pepper sauces made locally in Trinidad were far more explosive than similar commercial products (such as Matouks' sauces, which in all honestly are pretty darn hot also!): A squirt of such sauce into my "roti" in Port of Spain by the local street vendor caused me not to be able to eat that roti at all, I simpy had to chuck it away and seek milk / something else to cool my throat!

Lets hope that the UWI people get the genetic pool of different local cili strands in order before they are lost.

[Triniman]

Seems that the scorpion variety is very hard to find - here I found some references:


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pepper/msg0220304028585.html?4