Manipur: Scientist produces ‘hottest hybrid chilli’

IMPHAL, January 5, 2018: A Manipur Scientist has successfully synthesised the hottest Indian hybrid chilli during a trial breeding in the northeast, the country's hot spot in chilli diversity with several pungent chillies having their origin.

The new hybrid has been derived from capsicum frutescens cultivar, capsicum chinense cv, and the hybrid of the two. The current India's hottest chilli which has been certified by the Guinness World Records as the world's hottest in 2007 are the two Bhut Jolokia, or U-morok in Manipur.

The average pungency of hybrid chilli is 287,400 heat unitt (SHU) on the Scoville scale with capsaicin (spicy chemical compound in the chillies) content of 1.80%.

Rajkumar Kishor, chief scientist of Manipur-based Kwaklei and Khonggunmelei Orchids Pvt Ltd, a leading manufacturer and supplier of hybrid orchids said, "I started breeding the hybrid chilli as a hobby in 2007 and continued with the genetic stabilisation of the hybrid genotype, Analyses of this chilli was done at the Quality Evaluation Laboratory of Spices Board, Kochi, last year".

Christened as "Kishore's fire ball", the new chilli looks slightly curled and smaller than India's hottest chilli whose plant grows to 5 feet long and can produce up to 50-60 fruits in a season.

Kishor said unlike U-morok, which requires shade for healthy cultivation, the new hybrid can be cultivated under direct sunlight, meaning it can be cultivated in open fields.

Besides, it has low rotting rate added Kishor and he has successfully bred seeds of Manipur's favorite delicacy, a winter crop in 2016 Yongchak (bitter bean).

TNT with inputs from Hindustan Times

Featured image (courtesy): Representation