Are you obsessed with hot chillies like the naga viper pepper? It is a flavour sensation, if you can push past the heat, which sits at about 1 million to
1.5 million Scoville Heat Units. Phew!
To help you understand more about this delicious but totally sweat-inducing chilli pepper, here’s everything you ever wanted to know about the famous naga viper pepper:
What Is The Naga Viper Pepper?
The naga viper chilli has been purposely created by a farmer in England called Gerald Fowler from Cumbria, who crossed the Bhut Jolokia, the Naga Morich and the Trinidad Scorpion and created the naga viper.
The naga viper was known as the hottest chilli pepper in the world in 2011, and although it sits further down the hottest chilli pepper list now, it still packs a real punch.
To determine its heat the pepper had to go through various tests at a special laboratory in Warwick. Those tests rated the heat of the pepper at 1.3 million at the time, a cause for great celebration by its creator Mr Fowler.
Only a year after it was hailed as the world’s hottest pepper the viper was overtaken by one of its parent peppers, no less, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. The Scorpion only reigned for a year itself though as the Carolina Reaper took over and remained in top position as the world’s hottest chilli since 2013.
How Does The Naga Viper Pepper Differ From The Naga Morich?
The naga morich is one of the three chilli peppers used to make the naga viper and it sits at about 1-1.5 million on the Scoville Scale.
The peppers are different though as the morich is essentially one of the three parents of the naga viper.
The Naga Viper – A Taste Experience
The naga viper pepper is considered as one of the hottest chili peppers out there. In fact, it takes the fifth place on the Scoville Scale.
Eating this chili pepper is quite demanding and can be a real challenge for the majority of consumers. Those who have tried this hot pepper described the experience as extremely unpleasant. Many say that tears leaked down their face, while their hands and body trembled.
Don’t take our word for it though, you can check out the effects of this super-hot chilli in this Youtube video.
Clearly, this hot chilli is not for kids, and all potential consumers have to be very careful before they try the naga viper. It is a hundred times hotter than some regular hot chili peppers like the jalapeño so it isn’t just a casual spicy treat, it’s a real taste experience to try one.
Side effects of eating the naga viper aside, its flavour profile is actually one of great depth. It smells very sweet and fruity and when you first try it, those are the taste notes that hit you. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the burn to hit and those fruity notes only seem like a far off memory.
Culinary Uses For The Naga Viper Pepper
The naga viper chilli is mostly used for novelty experiences like chilli eating contests and extremely hot sauces. You can use it in cooking but, to make it palatable enough for regular use you would only be able to use the tiniest amounts at a time, so one would last you a very long time.
Instead, we recommend (carefully and in good health) experiencing the naga viper to its full potential and enjoy trying some of it raw, or some food that contains it such as a curry. The inventor who also runs a pub offers naga viper curry eating experiences, but you have to sign a waiver first!
Can You Grow A Naga Viper?
You can’t currently grow the naga viper because the way it was cultivated has no strong and stable method yet. What that means is the chillies that are made using the cross-breeding still don’t produce peppers that are exactly the same as the parent plants.
In essence – the plants can be made from certain processes, but no naga viper stable strains currently exist.
You would not be able to reproduce one yourself at this time. If you can buy the seeds, the chances are you won’t get a pepper plant exactly like the parent plant it came from, so it’s better to spend your money elsewhere.
You could, however, grow a Carolina Reaper chilli plant which is currently the world record holder for the title of world’s hottest chilli plant.
It sits at over 1.5 million on the Scoville Scale and you can grow it yourself at home.
Will Dragon’s Breath Become The World’s Hottest Chilli?
The naga viper and similar peppers have all had their moment in the spotlight as, for a short time, the worlds hottest chilli. Moving forward, the chances are even the famous Carolina Reaper will be pushed off the throne by another chilli. At the moment there is a rumoured plant that could potentially do just that and it is called dragon’s breath.
Dragons breath chillies have been made by Mike Smith, based in St. Asaph and could top 2.48 on the Scoville Scale. The pepper is thought to be so powerful, in fact, it could actually kill you.
Of course, words mean nothing when it comes to breaking records and lots of testing will need to occur before dragons breath can officially take the crown from the Carolina Reaper.
Will You Be Trying The Naga Viper Pepper?
Trying hot chillies is an interest for some, and even a passion for others. It’s a real adrenaline rush and some people truly enjoy the experience.
If that’s you, perhaps the naga viper pepper should be next on your list as it would be a real achievement to try it, especially considering its rarity because of how it’s made.