Brazilian Ghost

spectral heat

Brazilian Ghost is an unusual superhot Capsicum chinense developed in Brazil from a three-way cross involving Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Scorpion and 7 Pot Douglah.

It combines some of the best characteristics of its formidable parents, with vigorous growth, an intensely fruity aroma and the sort of explosive heat you'd expect from its Scorpion ancestry. The yellow form is particularly attractive, producing bright, sunny pods on neat, bushy plants that branch readily and carry a generous crop.

I found Brazilian Ghost surprisingly easy to grow for a superhot. Unlike the original Bhut Jolokia, which can be rather demanding, this was a vigorous, well-behaved plant that started flowering and fruiting earlier than most of my other superhots.

I grew mine in a relatively small six-litre pot, and it seemed perfectly happy, producing plenty of pods that began ripening by early September. Given a larger container, I suspect it would have developed into a considerably bigger plant with an even heavier crop.

Red chillies are almost always more popular than yellow ones, but I'm increasingly convinced that the majority have got this wrong. Red varieties often have the edge when it comes to heat, and the chocolate types can have a wonderful depth of flavour, but I find the yellow ones tend to be lighter, fruitier and much more aromatic.

The more chillies I grow, the more I find myself favouring them. They also look so much brighter and more cheerful on the plant, and Yellow Brazilian Ghost is a particularly good example.

The flavour has that distinctive citrusy, tropical quality associated with Bhut Jolokia, but there's nothing gentle about the heat. It's an extraordinarily powerful chilli, with a sharp, explosive burn that soon reminds you of its Scorpion ancestry.

I'm planning to turn my harvest into hot sauce, where the intense fruitiness should work particularly well. Given the heat of these pods, even the crop from my little six-litre plant should be enough to make quite a few bottles.