# New record breaking hot chili pepper developed - Needs gloves to be picked **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 1, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813 "2006-04-01T04:17:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/1 "2006-04-01T04:17:54Z")
Via Fark [The chilli so hot you need gloves](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2113507,00.html) England is about one the last places I would have thought of as being a place that appreciated super hot chili peppers. My ignorance is corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/2 "2006-04-01T04:22:05Z")
Actually, I think most hot peppers require you to wear gloves when picking them-was I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/3 "2006-04-01T04:31:36Z")
I thought so as well. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/4 "2006-04-01T05:17:06Z")
Look at the date on the article. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/5 "2006-04-01T05:24:48Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Look at the date on the article. The sales website appears to be very real [Peppers by Post](http://www.peppersbypost.biz/) > [@](#): > > There are thousands of varieties of chillies in the world, and not all are created equal. The varieties we have selected represent those we believe offer the best flavour within a wide range of shapes, sizes, textures and, of course, heat level. They all have specific culinary uses, contributing to a particular cuisine or style of dish. We grow, for example, the centimetre long ‘Thai Hot’ that is perfect for stir fries, pickles and chutneys. In contrast, there is the spectacular ‘Whippet’s Tail’, whose fruit can grow up to 30cm long. We also offer the ‘Poblano’ a large, mild chilli that is perfect for stuffing. Then, for people who want extreme heat, we have our ‘Dorset Naga’, a rare Bangladeshi habanero that is measurably hotter than the ‘Scotch Bonnet’, its Caribbean relative. To view the full range of chillies we sell please click on the ‘Varieties’ window and it will reveal all. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/6 "2006-04-01T05:52:24Z")
If the capascasin(sp?) levels in peppers like this can harm your skin, wouldn’t it cause burns in the esophagus and mouth as well? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/7 "2006-04-01T06:16:14Z")
A Google search on “Dorset Naga” brings up one, and only one, page; the one linked above. My BS sense is tingling. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/8 "2006-04-01T06:16:30Z")
> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#): > > If the capascasin(sp?) levels in peppers like this can harm your skin, wouldn’t it cause burns in the esophagus and mouth as well? I don’t think they “burn” your skin with direct contact the danger is that you will accidently transfer the oils (if touched with bare hands) to your eyes or other delicate or mucous membrane tissues. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/9 "2006-04-01T06:20:54Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > A Google search on “Dorset Naga” brings up one, and only one, page; the one linked above. My BS sense is tingling. If so they’ve [gone to a lot of trouble](http://www.peppersbypost.biz/catalogue.pdf) for a very tiny joke. [I get more than one google hit](http://www.charliehicks.com/other_places.htm) [From 1991](http://www.currypages.com/show.aspx?xslt=features/chillifiesta&title=Chilli+Fiesta) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/10 "2006-04-01T06:21:25Z")
You don’t need gloves to pick peppers. I’ve picked everything from little Thai peppers to jalapeños and scotch bonnets using my bare hands with no ill effects. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/11 "2006-04-01T06:22:03Z")
[From 1991](http://www.currypages.com/show.aspx?xslt=features/chillifiesta&title=Chilli+Fiesta) …sorry 2001 ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/12 "2006-04-01T06:26:36Z")
Thanks for posting the link! My poor homesick Salvadoran-American college roomie now lives in small-town England, near Dover, and is terribly homesick for anything involving fresh chilies. (They are nowhere to be found near her - buying ethnic groceries in London is one thing, but in a small town with sheep grazing on the outskirts, it’s quite another story. Hot peppers there are only to be found in cans, and only jalapenos.) Maybe I’ll mail-order her a birthday present one of these days. ---
**Author:** ![Aarinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Aarinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aarinsky)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/13 "2006-04-01T06:57:15Z")
I don’t understand the purpose behind breeding hotter-than-habanero chiles. I mean, habaneros are so hot to be almost inedible, and they only score about 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on average, according to the article. This new Dorset Naga scores 900,000 SHU! I would imagine that even the most lead-tongued chile junkie can only take so much capsaicin before burning a hole in his or her mouth… What use could there possibly be for a chile this hot??? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/14 "2006-04-01T14:20:27Z")
> [@Aarinsky](#): > > I don’t understand the purpose behind breeding hotter-than-habanero chiles. I mean, habaneros are so hot to be almost inedible, and they only score about 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on average, according to the article. This new Dorset Naga scores 900,000 SHU! I would imagine that even the most lead-tongued chile junkie can only take so much capsaicin before burning a hole in his or her mouth… What use could there possibly be for a chile this hot??? :eek: Some people have a greater heat tolerance when it comes to food. Jalepenos are delicious and I eat them like you might eat a pickle. Habeneros are great to ccok with and I use them in lots of dishes. Scotch Bonnets are hotter than habaneros but I use them in my hot salsa. At some point it does become all about heat and that is really just for macho-showmanship. I like my spice to have flavor and actually taste good. If it’s hot enough to clear my sinus’ and make me sweat, all that much better. If my lips are still stinging/throbbing/burning after dessert then I know that I better make sure there are baby wipes at home. Cause I’m gonna be needing them soon. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/15 "2006-04-01T18:05:52Z")
> [@Aarinsky](#): > > habaneros are so hot to be almost inedible Does not compute. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/16 "2006-04-01T22:36:11Z")
Closer reading of the article reveals: > [@](#): > > They knew the 2cm-long specimens were hot because they had to wear gloves and remove the seeds outdoors when preparing them for drying, but had no idea they had grown a record-breaker. It doesn’t say you need to wear gloves to pick them, but rather to remove the seeds. That makes a bit more sense since that area tends to be the hottest part of the pepper. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/17 "2006-04-01T23:19:41Z")
I await with great anticipation the development of the first 1 million Scoville Heat Unit pepper. I was also interested to see in that link that police-grade pepper spray has 5-6 million SHU. I had one patient who repeatedly took that spray in the face as he tried to clout my security officers with a large metal object. It didn’t slow him down much. In fact, he seemed to be a fellow hot pepper aficionado, as he kept crying out “hoo ah! That’s _good_! I like it hot! Give me some more!” Finally he put down the metal object so he could relax and fully enjoy the capsaicin experience. His biggest complaint was that the spray irritated a hangnail he had on his finger. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/18 "2006-04-02T03:11:01Z")
From what I understand capsaicin does not actually burn, it just makes you feel like it. Am I wrong about that? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/19 "2006-04-02T03:25:20Z")
> [@Madd Maxx](#): > > Scotch Bonnets are hotter than habaneros but I use them in my hot salsa. How can they be-the habanero rates higher on the Scoville heat scale? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813/20 "2006-04-02T03:51:38Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > How can they be-the habanero rates higher on the Scoville heat scale? Scoville units aren’t really constant within a species of pepper. Often one will find an individual Scotch Bonnet with more SHU than an individual Habanero. On average, I believe Habaneros tend to have a bit more heat than Scotch Bonnets. Of course I believe there’s the argument that since Habaneros are Scotch Bonnets are the same species, but the Habanero has been bred to a certain appearance, they’re really the same pepper. Not all buy into that. [http://www.thescarms.com/hotstuff/pepperfacts.htm](http://www.thescarms.com/hotstuff/pepperfacts.htm) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-record-breaking-hot-chili-pepper-developed-needs-gloves-to-be-picked/350813.md?page=2)