London's lip-smacking cuisine should be getting a bit spiced up now that the world's hottest pepper - the Raja Chilli (King Chilli), which is also known as Bhoot Jolokia (Ghost pepper) - from India’s north-eastern region has been exported for the first time, giving a shot in the arm to the shipment of Geographical indication (GI) products.
From curries and sauces to hot wings, the popularity of spicy dishes abroad has led to a rise in the demand for dried chillies in the European and UK markets. Now that the King Chilli will be available in London, diners will be able to enjoy the heady sensation that comes with biting into its fiery, eye-watering flesh and should satisfy the cravings of even the most peppery chilli enthusiast and tickle their taste buds.
Grown in India, King Chilli regularly appears in the top 10 on the list of the world's hottest chilies based on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). Though King Chilli got its GI certification in 2008, exporting it posed a challenge because it is highly perishable.
India's trade export organisation, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in conjunction with the Nagaland State Agricultural Marketing Board (NSAMB), arranged the first consignment of fresh King Chilli to be exported.
So far in 2021, APEDA has enabled the exports of Jackfruits from Tripura to London and Germany, Assam Lemon to London, red rice of Assam to the United States and Leteku ‘Burmese Grape’ to Dubai.