Bih Jolokia Brown Chili Seeds

Information: Before newer, hotter cultivars began to challenge each other almost every year for the record of being the hottest chili, the bhut jolokia (bih jolokia) was at the top of the list for a relatively long time (2007–2011). The plant originally comes from the Assam region in India and is a naturally-developed hybrid of the two species Capsicum chinense and Capsicum frutescens. In India, the plant’s country of origin, this cultivar can have a spicy heat measuring up to 1 million Scoville Heat Units.

The brown bih or bhut jolokia is another strain of the red jolokia pepper. The elongated bhut jolokia chili peppers ripen from green to brown, they have a rough, uneven surface and an extremely fruity flavour. When growing, they require a lot of warmth, whilst at the same time the peppers have a very long maturation period, meaning that around 160 days can pass by between planting the seeds and harvesting the fruits. You should always use disposable gloves when  handling these chillies.

Care: Optimum germinating temperature is between 25°C  and 30°C. This particular cultivar may germinate very slowly, sometimes it may need up to 36 days (on average 10-21 days). It is therefore recommended to use a greenhouse and a heating mat. The plants need fresh, well-fertilised, permeable soil, and do not tolerate waterlogging. They should be planted in a sunny, protected place with at least 6 hours of sunlight - preferably more. As the plants have a particularly long maturation period, it is recommended to grow them in a pot, so that you can easily bring the plant inside when the temperature falls below 12°C during the day, allowing all the fruits to ripen. To keep the plant over the winter, cut it back by 20cm after harvesting and place in a light place where it is at least 15°C.

You can find plenty of useful tips for successfully growing chili plants in our Chili Cultivation Instructions and in the Chili Diary.