Where to Buy Ghost Peppers

India’s Bhut Jolokia chili pepper, more popularly known as Ghost Pepper, sets the Guinness World Records title for the “Hottest Chili in the Word”.  Such label stirs up curiosity in many spicy food lovers and fiery food cults. This notorious chili has a soaring amount of 1,001,304 Scoville units (the system used to measure the heat factor of chili peppers) and is over 300 times the hotness of a jalapeno.  The extreme heat of the Ghost chili presents a hot challenge to many chili-heads that it has become highly sought after in the US.

But despite the growing popularity of Ghost peppers in the US, these little fire heads remain hard to find.  This is because supermarkets don’t normally carry them and these special peppers are sold only in few select locations around the country. With Ghost peppers not being widely cultivated in the US yet, and with only very few people being able to successfully grow them, it comes as no surprise that Ghost peppers and fresh Ghost pepper pods are almost impossible to purchase.

If you’re in the market looking to buy ghost peppers, but haven’t had any luck getting any, try these helpful tips:

Find online chili stores – Online chili stores usually sell Ghost peppers in ground and dried form. Some stores even have home-made Jolokia hot sauce and Jolokia pepper mash in jugs and bottles for shopping convenience.

Try eBay or Craigslist – Some Ghost pepper growers post their excess harvests up for bids or for sale in eBay, craigslist, and iOffer.

Visit Indian markets –Indian markets sell different types of ghost peppers, but these have been watered down to reduce the heat. Aside from Indian markets, you can ask chefs from Indian restaurants if they know a good source of fresh Ghost peppers

Take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market- For a limited time some Ghost pepper growers sell their fresh Bhut Jolokia peppers directly at local farmer’s market.

Check out barbeque joints/ firehouse grills –Some specialty barbeque joints and firehouse grills use ghost pepper to make their ghost pepper sauce and to add zing to their dishes.  You could try asking where they source their Ghost peppers. They could also sell some to you, but there’s always a chance they might over charge.

Like little gems, Ghost peppers are hard to find. But once you finally get your hands on this fiery fruit, you’ll discover that nothing beats the satisfaction of having the hottest chili in the world in your mouth!