Asian chillies

For the Geo Quiz we set our sights on a scorching hot chilli pepper. We’re looking for the South Asian country where this hot pepper grows. How hot is it? Well, the Naga chilli pepper is said to be 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce�

For the Geo Quiz we set our sights on a scorching hot chilli pepper. We’re looking for the South Asian country where this hot pepper grows.

How hot is it?

Well, the Naga chilli pepper is said to be 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. Until recently the Guinness Book of World Records listed it as the hottest chilli pepper around. It scored over 500,000 on the Scoville scale of tongue-scorching heat. One chef described the Naga chilli this way, it’s hot enough to strip paint.

Below you can listen to an interview with a chef in Scotland who’s cooking up a big batch of spicy curry � to serve the homeless on Christmas. He says he hopes his spicy Indian food will help them fend off the bitter winter weather that’s descended on Europe this week.

So where does this chef get his very hot Naga chillies?
Geo Answer:

The answer is Bangladesh (northeastern India is a good answer too). It’s where an unusually hot chili pepper called the Naga Jolokia comes from. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with a Scottish Indian chef Assader Ali who’s earned a reputation for his hot curries. He’s preparing a huge batch of hot curry for some of Edinburgh’s homeless on Christmas Day.