Friday, April 15, 2011

  Hottest chilli: The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T. sets world record (HD Video)

MOISSET, NSW, Australia -- The fiery Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Chilli(grower: Marcel de Wit, of the Chilli Factory in Morisett) registers 1,463,700 Scoville heat units - setting the new world record for the Hottest Chilli.

  Photo: World's Hottest Chilli pickers Jarmilla Alders, left, and Linda Sartoris. ( enlarge photo )

  The previous Guinness world record holder was the Naga Viper chilli , measuring 1.38 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

Guinness World Records also recognizedthe Hottest tree when burning: the osage-orange or horse-apple (Maclura pomifera), a large deciduous shrub-like plant belonging to the mulberry family, and distributed widely across North America. When burned, this species produces approximately 33 million British Thermal Units (BTU) per 20 per cent air-dried moisture content per cord.

  "They're just severe, absolutely severe," says Marcel de Wit, The Chilli Factory co-owner. "No wonder they start making crowd-control grenades now with chillies. It's just wicked."

   Asked by the Brisbane Times newspaper for advice on how to use the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T in cooking, he advised: ''Very sparingly.''

  The "Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Chili" registers more than 1.4 million units on a heat scale. A jalapeno, as used in Tabasco sauce, contains about 5000 Scoville heat units; a bird's eye chilli packs between 50,000 and 100,000.

  The men said the secret to developing the world's hottest pepper lies in the fertilizer. They use something called "worm juice" which is liquid run-off from a worm farm.

  The chillies primarily end up as a basis for a hot sauce, where the chillies still pack a punch. "We went to Melbourne to cook our first batch of the sauce, the Scorpion Strike, we all had to wear full chemical masks and suit-up with full protection suits and gloves to cook these up." Marcel says.

  "Imagine, when you start cooking with it - those fumes that come out of the pot."

  Top 10 hottest chilli varietal groups with their Scoville unit  ratings:
  1. Trinidad Scorpion Butch Taylor  (1,463,700)
  2. Scorpion cultivars and Naga Viper Chilli  (1,250,000 to 1,350,000)
  3. Chocolate 7-pod and Infinity Chilli  (1,200,000 to 1,250,000)
  4. 7-pod varieties; Barrackpore, primo, yellow, red  (1,100,000 to 1,200,000)
  5. The Nagas; Bhut Jolokia, Bih Jolokia, Naga Jolokia, Dorset Naga, Naga Morich (900,000 to 1,100,000)
   6. Naga x Habanero crosses; Habanaga, Nagabon (800,000)
   7. Red Savina Habanero (577,000)
   8. Chocolate Habanero or Caribbean Habanero (250,000 to 350,000)
   9. Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets (100,000 to 250,000)
  10. Tepins, Tabascos, Birds eyes  (<100,000)

  A sauce containing 58 per cent Trinidad Scorpion Butch T chilli, and called Scorpion Strike, will be launched at the Royal Easter Show.

  Despite an intensity that would overpower most, the chillies are said to have a fruity taste. ''It's a bit like a banana and an orange together - like a fruit salad," said Mr de Wit, who answers to the title of the Hot Chilli Chef.