Naga
The ‘Naga’ chilli is properly known as the’ Naga Jolokia’ – ‘Naga’ meaning ‘Cobra’ and ‘Jolokia’ meaning ‘Chilli’ in sanskrit, athough given that we’re cultivating the chillies in Sri Lanka we should properly call them “Nai Miris” from the Sinhalese.
Naga chillies were named by the Naga people of north eastern India, and it’s suggested that the chilli was so named because its spice was close to the venom of a King Cobra.
Whatever… these are sufficiently potent that they really need to be treated with respect… they have a Scoville rating close to a million, and for a while were recognised as the world’s hottest chillies by the Guinness Book of Records.
So… please use gloves when cooking with Naga chillies, and make sure you wash your hands regularly!
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