Naga Jolokia

Growing and harvesting

At the grower's

Naga Jolokia peppers are grown from seed to plant by plant growers. The trays with seeds are kept under artificial light for 2 weeks at a temperature between 23 and 25˚C. When the first plants appear, the peppers are moved to pots or rockwool blocks. Once the plants reach 40 centimetres, Naga Jolokia are taken to the open field in the open ground or to the greenhouse, depending on the season.

Naga Jolokia peppers are large enough to be harvested after 12 weeks. By then, they will have coloured orange-red, which indicates that they are hot enough. Harvesting is manual work, as is sorting for quality, size and colour. Packed in 2 kilo boxes, the Naga Jolokia peppers are shipped to Nature's Pride.

Recipes & preparation tips

The Naga Jolokia is a pepper that requires professional preparation to prevent skin irritation. Rub your hands with a little oil beforehand and wash thoroughly with soap afterwards. This will stop some of the pepper's heat from penetrating the skin. Removing seeds and membranes is also a good idea to temper its spiciness a little.

In terms of uses in the kitchen: an extremely hot pepper like this requires very careful dosing or a recipe that can handle that taste. Naga Jolokia comes into its own in spicy mini spring rolls, for example. You can also find a spicy recipe for a hot chicken salad on the EAT ME website.

• EAT ME website