The hottest pepper of all

Monday, August 20, 2007

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The Guinness Book of World Records recently named this pepper from India as the hottest in the world.

LAKE ALFRED, POLK COUNTY (Bay News 9)--The Guinness Book of World Records recently named a pepper from India as the hottest in the world.

And a Polk County man has it growing in his back yard.

Glenn Reynolds grows everything from oranges to onions.

But, his real passion-- is for peppers.

"I found I like hot things and I started growing jalapenos," Reynolds said.

His hot garden now includes grove peppers, poblanos, and a pepper once thought to be the hottest in the world.

The Guinness Book of World Records recently replaced the red habenero with the bhut jolokia , or naga jolokia.

On the official scale used to rate peppers, it comes in twice as hot as the red habenero at 1-million scovilles.

It holds half the potency of pepper spray.

The jolokia originated in India but, Reynolds couldn't wait to grow it in Polk County.

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"I don't know why, but I'm always looking for something hotter and maybe it is the challenge in it." Reynolds said.

Reynolds wanted to make sure he was growing the real deal so he ordered some seeds directly from the University of New Mexico Chili Pepper Institute and four months later, he has a full crop of bhut jolokias.

Bay News 9's Roy De Jesus was willing to come out of the "Chef's Kitchen" for a pepper challenge.

Reynolds got him ready with a pep talk from his own experience.

"I started sweating a little bit, got a little bit of pain in my shoulders and arms," Reynolds said.

Roy starts feeling the heat 20-seconds later.

"It's hot and it's getting hotter," De Jesus said.

He rolls up his sleeves as sweat pours down 45-seconds later.

At one-minute- his mouth is on fire.

"My throat is burning a lot," De Jesus said.

Chocolate milk becomes his saving grace but minutes later tears start streaming down his face.

It takes De Jesus ten minutes to feel calm, as numbness sets in.

"My tongue is starting to... I'm starting not to feel it," De Jesus said.

Reynolds said he uses his peppers in everything from marmalades to pickles.

He's even bottling his own hot sauce for family and friends, called "rehab".

Meanwhile, Roy recommends viewers don't try this at home.

Five hours after eating the bhut jolokia, he said his body surprised him with a relapse of the symptoms.

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