UK chilli is hotter than India's 'bhut jolokia'

The record of the Bhut Jolokia chilli grown in India's north-east has been threatened by the development of a new chilli in Britain which is more fiery and has a higher Scoville rating.

The record of the Bhut Jolokia chilli grown in India's north-east has been threatened by the development of a new chilli in Britain which is more fiery and has a higher Scoville rating.

HT Image

The Scoville scale is used to measure the heat of peppers.

Bhut Jolokia is reportedly being used by the Indian army to make hand grenades to immobilise terror suspects.

It measures 1,041,427 on the Scoville scale, while the new chilli developed in Lincolnshire has a Scoville rating of 1,067,286 in tests conducted at the Warwick university.

The Lincolnshire variety is named Infinity for its "never-ending" burn, which cannot be quelled by even the best antidote, milk.

Chilli-grower Woody Woods, 37, a resident of Grantham, told the media, "It is like eating red-hot coal. To grow such a burning hot chilli in our climate is unbelievable."

He and his friend Matt Simpson, 38, bred the Infinity in a greenhouse by crossing existing varieties and hope to market the seeds later this year.