Produce Briefs...
White Corn
White corn is a sweet corn variety. Its ears are wrapped in tightly layered pale lime green to white husks. One ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels growing in rows lengthwise.
Cantaloupe Melon
The cantaloupe is defined by two elements: its roughly netted stone and green colored skin and its aromatic orange-coral colored flesh. When perfectly ripe, the flesh is juicy, unctuous and sweet.
Grower
Seasons/Availability
Fresh Ghost peppers make sporadic appearances throughout the year. They are greenhouse grown in Holland and field grown in Mexico. They also may appear at farmers markets in-season.
Current Facts
Ghost chile peppers are also known as bhut Jolokia, Bih Jolokia, Naga Jolokia, Naga Morich and Raja Mirchi. These other names are simply given names in different cultures. Ghost peppers were first tested for their heat level in the year 2000. In 2006, they were recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the hottest chile pepper in the world, registering between 850,000-1,050,000 Scoville units. They replaced the Red Savina pepper ( a patented Habenero variety registering 580,000 Scoville units) as the hottest known pepper in the world and no other chile pepper has ever been recorded to have even a comparable heat level.
Description/Taste
Ghost peppers, like several "hot" chile pepper varieties disguise their heat inconspicuously in a small pod. The chile pod is grooved, slightly curved and comes to a point. They are harvested and sold in their orange to red stage of maturity when their heat levels are at their peak. The peppers size ranges in length of 2-3 inches and about 1/2 inch wide. The skin is smooth, waxy, glossy and firm. Its flesh bears less than edible seeds (one seed can contain levels of heat that can produce sustained intense pain sensations in the mouth for up to 30 minutes). The pod's membrane also contains high levels of heat, which extinguishes the assumption that removing the seeds removes the heat. Cooking Ghost peppers will not reduce the pepper's vicious bite.
Applications
The ghost chile pepper's heat level should never be underestimated as even the smallest amount can render a dish inedible. It is best used very sparingly in addition to several other ingredients in the preparation of sauces or as a seasoning. Paired with meats and creamy sauces, the pepper can be slightly tamed and utilized as a spice versus simply a chile. As its global presence is limited, recipes outside of Indian cuisine do not reflect the use of the ghost pepper. Consider using the ghost pepper where you would use a habanero chile pepper. Ghost peppers can be pickled, be used in salsas, relishes, barbecue sauces, added to soups and used in meat and seafood rubs and marinades. Citrus can cut the heat of the chile and should be considered almost an ablsolute when contributing ghost peppers to any dish, fresh or cooked.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Ghost peppers are part of regional cuisine throughout the Assam region of India. They are used in Indian chile sauces and stews. They are even eaten alone, paradoxically, used to tame the summer heat. They are also used in smoke bombs and smeared on fences in paste form to keep wild elephants at a distance from farm land.
Geography/History
Ghost peppers were first discovered in a remote area within the Assam region of northeastern India. The extreme temperatures (up to 130° F) of the region and its highly humid environment contribute to the escalating heat levels of Ghost peppers. If the same pepper were to be grown in less hot and more arid regions its heat level would reduce significantly, creating a chile with far less impact than what the Ghost pepper has become known for. Its newfound Guiness Book status and popularity are boosting once poverished rural agrarian communities' economic potential. The peppers grow prolifically in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the northeastern regions of India: Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Red Ghost Chile Peppers. One
is easiest, three is harder.
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Seasons/Availability
Fresh Ghost peppers make sporadic appearances throughout the year. They are greenhouse grown in Holland and field grown in Mexico. They also may appear at farmers markets in-season.
Current Facts
Ghost chile peppers are also known as bhut Jolokia, Bih Jolokia, Naga Jolokia, Naga Morich and Raja Mirchi. These other names are simply given names in different cultures. Ghost peppers were first tested for their heat level in the year 2000. In 2006, they were recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the hottest chile pepper in the world, registering between 850,000-1,050,000 Scoville units. They replaced the Red Savina pepper ( a patented Habenero variety registering 580,000 Scoville units) as the hottest known pepper in the world and no other chile pepper has ever been recorded to have even a comparable heat level.
Description/Taste
Ghost peppers, like several "hot" chile pepper varieties disguise their heat inconspicuously in a small pod. The chile pod is grooved, slightly curved and comes to a point. They are harvested and sold in their orange to red stage of maturity when their heat levels are at their peak. The peppers size ranges in length of 2-3 inches and about 1/2 inch wide. The skin is smooth, waxy, glossy and firm. Its flesh bears less than edible seeds (one seed can contain levels of heat that can produce sustained intense pain sensations in the mouth for up to 30 minutes). The pod's membrane also contains high levels of heat, which extinguishes the assumption that removing the seeds removes the heat. Cooking Ghost peppers will not reduce the pepper's vicious bite.
Applications
The ghost chile pepper's heat level should never be underestimated as even the smallest amount can render a dish inedible. It is best used very sparingly in addition to several other ingredients in the preparation of sauces or as a seasoning. Paired with meats and creamy sauces, the pepper can be slightly tamed and utilized as a spice versus simply a chile. As its global presence is limited, recipes outside of Indian cuisine do not reflect the use of the ghost pepper. Consider using the ghost pepper where you would use a habanero chile pepper. Ghost peppers can be pickled, be used in salsas, relishes, barbecue sauces, added to soups and used in meat and seafood rubs and marinades. Citrus can cut the heat of the chile and should be considered almost an ablsolute when contributing ghost peppers to any dish, fresh or cooked.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Ghost peppers are part of regional cuisine throughout the Assam region of India. They are used in Indian chile sauces and stews. They are even eaten alone, paradoxically, used to tame the summer heat. They are also used in smoke bombs and smeared on fences in paste form to keep wild elephants at a distance from farm land.
Geography/History
Ghost peppers were first discovered in a remote area within the Assam region of northeastern India. The extreme temperatures (up to 130° F) of the region and its highly humid environment contribute to the escalating heat levels of Ghost peppers. If the same pepper were to be grown in less hot and more arid regions its heat level would reduce significantly, creating a chile with far less impact than what the Ghost pepper has become known for. Its newfound Guiness Book status and popularity are boosting once poverished rural agrarian communities' economic potential. The peppers grow prolifically in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the northeastern regions of India: Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Red Ghost Chile Peppers. One
is easiest, three is harder.
