India has always been known to the world as the “land of spices”. And now, things are about to get a lot spicier in London as it gets ready to receive its very first consignment of Raja Mircha from Nagaland. Considered to be the world's hottest chilli, Raja Mircha was exported to London for the first time on Wednesday by air. According to a press release by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the consignment was sourced from Tening, an area in the Peren district of Nagaland. It is also known as King Chilli and is considered to be the world's hottest chilli based on Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).
(Also read : Know Your Chillies: Ultimate Guide To Various Types Of Indian Chillies)
The report described the export of the chilli to be a “major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) products from the north-eastern region”. It is constantly among the top five variants in the list of the world's hottest chillies based on the SHUs, the report added. It is also referred to as “Bhoot Jolokia” and “Ghost Pepper” and received its GI certification in 2008.
‘Raja Mircha' also referred as king chilli, a GI product from Nagaland was exported to London via Guwahati by air for the first time. The consignment was sourced from Tening, part of Peren district, Nagaland and was packed at APEDA assisted packhouse at Guwahati. pic.twitter.com/zr1XuqgYcY— PIB in Nagaland (@PIBKohima) July 28, 2021
An image of the consignment was shared on the official Twitter account of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
King Chilli '#RajaMircha' from #Nagaland exported to #London for the first time.
The consignment of King Chilli also considered as world's hottest based on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).
Details: https://t.co/imUKFkBzYf#AatmaNirbharBharatpic.twitter.com/8043tgz0Jb— MIB India ???????? #Cheer4India (@MIB_India) July 28, 2021
Later in the day, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri recounted his first encounter with Raja Mircha.
The king of chillies from Nagaland exported to London via Guwahati for the first time.
Reminds me of our brush with this famous variety of fiery chillies when Lakshmi & I stopped by at a roadside vegetable market during our trip to Meghalaya in August 2019. https://t.co/Od298o5huQpic.twitter.com/93JLpQa2gc— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) July 28, 2021
Replying to the tweet, one user said, “It is yum.”
It is YUM !
Always have a bottle of Sauce to spice up the tastebuds
Best wishes and regards— Colonel Rohit Dev (RDX) ???????? (@RDXThinksThat) July 28, 2021
A few shared pictures of the chillies grown in their backyard.
From my backyard: pic.twitter.com/2UAhfIKGZd— Reagan Moirangthem ꯔꯤꯒꯥꯟ ꯃꯣꯏꯔꯥꯡꯊꯦꯝ ???????? (@reagan_moirangt) July 29, 2021
Our garden harvest ???????? pic.twitter.com/guybZy6iUn— Rupam ® (@Rupamraaz93) July 29, 2021
The consignment was exported by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the apex body which promotes the export of agricultural products from the country. It collaborated with the Nagaland State Agricultural Marketing Board to ensure that the export process is not hindered by the perishable nature of the chillies.
(Also read : Watch: Man Eats Hottest Chillies In Under 10 Seconds; Breaks Record)
According to residents of Nagaland, the chilli is best enjoyed fresh. It is believed that it tends to lose its intensity with time, so the sooner you eat it, the better. It is usually pickled with oil, salt and vinegar to preserve it throughout the year. It works well with meat-based curries and stir-fry dishes.
If it is tough to get your hands on Bhoot Jolokia, you can always pick a Bhoot Jolokia sauce or paste that is easily available in the market today.