Chocolate and Ghost heat

Ghost Peppers (Bhut Jolokia) (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)

Hi Everyone, This week, we continue our heat series featuring hot peppers currently in season.

Hot peppers are fascinating to heat seekers, gardeners, farmers, chefs and home cooks. Though our interest varies, the capsaicin-producing fruit that comes in a variety of colours, shapes, textures, and heat levels intrigues each one of us. We go to markets in search of new varieties and are always drawn to peppers in all forms. I found a kindred spirit in one of the vendors at the Bridgetown market here in Barbados. Sandra (not her real name) and I spend time talking about peppers, their flavours, and heat levels. Our most recent conversations centered on the Chocolate Habanero and Ghost Pepper (aka Bhut Jolokia).

Sandra bought the seeds from one of the farming stands at the Barbados Agricultural Festival held earlier this year, in February. Sandra’s first harvest of the peppers was several weeks ago.