# Ghost pepper (bhut jolokia): dried pods, powder and seeds you can buy The ghost pepper, or bhut jolokia, is a superhot chili from Northeast India. Guinness certified it as the world's hottest chili in 2007, and a 2004 HPLC test rated it at 1,041,427 Scoville units, per Wikipedia. It has since been passed by the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T and the Carolina Reaper, but it is still the classic pepper-challenge pepper. **1,041,427 SHU** 2004 HPLC test **2007** Guinness world's hottest **60,500** US Google searches a month **38M** views on 46 TikToks we sampled Americans search Google for “ghost chili” about 60,500 times a month, and in scout's TikTok sample of 6,091 videos the 46 that mention ghost peppers had about 38 million views. You can buy it three ways: whole dried pods, ground powder for cooking, or seeds to grow your own. Price tables: [Spicy](https://sharpest.ai/spicy)[Extreme foods](https://sharpest.ai/extreme) ## At a glance | Product | Claim | Lowest eBay | Amazon | |---|---|---|---| | [ Dried Ghost Peppers (Bhut Jolokia)](#dried-ghost-peppers-bhut-jolokia) | 855,000 to 1,040,000 SHU | [$9.49](https://sharpest.ai/go/spicy/dried-ghost-peppers-bhut-jolokia/v1%7C137522753454%7C0) | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dried+ghost+peppers&tag=sharpestai-20) | | [ Ghost Pepper Powder](#ghost-pepper-powder) | ground ghost pepper | [$9.95](https://sharpest.ai/go/spicy/ghost-pepper-powder/v1%7C298599165434%7C0) | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ghost+pepper+powder&tag=sharpestai-20) | | [ Ghost Pepper Seeds](#ghost-pepper-seeds) | Capsicum chinense | [$3.00](https://sharpest.ai/go/spicy/ghost-pepper-seeds/v1%7C126771874822%7C0) | [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ghost+pepper+seeds&tag=sharpestai-20) | ## How the ghost pepper challenge works The format is the same one later used for the Carolina Reaper: - Eat one whole ghost pepper, fresh or dried, on camera. - Start a timer and hold off on milk or water as long as you can. - Say how it feels every minute until the burn fades. ### Do it safely - Wear gloves to handle pods or powder, and keep them away from your eyes. - Have milk, yogurt or bread ready; stop if you feel chest pain, vomit or feel faint. - Not for children. ## Ghost pepper products ### Dried Ghost Peppers (Bhut Jolokia) 855,000 to 1,040,000 SHU [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_pepper) [eBay $9.49](https://sharpest.ai/go/spicy/dried-ghost-peppers-bhut-jolokia/v1%7C137522753454%7C0)[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dried+ghost+peppers&tag=sharpestai-20) Whole dried pods, the form most challenge videos use. Wikipedia lists the ghost pepper at 855,000 to 1,040,000 Scoville units, so one pod is enough to heat a big pot of chili. ### Ghost Pepper Powder ground ghost pepper [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_pepper) [eBay $9.95](https://sharpest.ai/go/spicy/ghost-pepper-powder/v1%7C298599165434%7C0)[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ghost+pepper+powder&tag=sharpestai-20) The same pepper ground fine, for cooking rather than daring. Check the label for pure ghost pepper, not a seasoning blend. ### Ghost Pepper Seeds Capsicum chinense [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_pepper) [eBay $3.00](https://sharpest.ai/go/spicy/ghost-pepper-seeds/v1%7C126771874822%7C0)[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ghost+pepper+seeds&tag=sharpestai-20) Grow your own. The ghost pepper is a Capsicum chinense, like the habanero; Wikipedia says the Indian strain varies a lot in fruit size and yield. We earn a commission on purchases through these links. eBay prices (item + shipping) read from our latest check; Amazon links open a search, so check the price there. Listed in no particular order. Each figure is the maker’s or the named source’s claim, as of 2026-11-11. ## How hot is that? Scoville heat units on a log scale: each step right is a multiple, not an addition. Pepper Sauce or candy On this page - Tabasco sauce 2,500 to 5,000 SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair%27s_Sauces_and_Snacks) - Jalapeño about 5,000 SHU · [source](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/hottest-hot-sauce-in-the-world) - Blair's Mega Death 550,000 SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair%27s_Sauces_and_Snacks) - Blair's Ultra Death 1,100,000 SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair%27s_Sauces_and_Snacks) - Carolina Reaper 1,641,183 (average) SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Reaper) - Blair's Crystal Death 2,000,000 SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair%27s_Sauces_and_Snacks) - Hot Ones The Last Dab 2,000,000+ SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Ones) - Pepper X 2,693,000 average SHU · [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_X) - Lil' Nitro gummy bear 9,000,000 (extract rating) SHU · [source](https://www.vat19.com/item/lil-nitro-worlds-hottest-gummy-bear) - Mad Dog 357 Plutonium No. 9 9,000,000 SHU · [source](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-hottest-food-additive-is-ashley-food-companys-mad-dog-357-plutonium-no-9-pepper-extract-228756281.html) - Toe of Satan lollipop 9,000,000 (extract) SHU · [source](https://www.vat19.com/item/toe-of-satan-lollipop-worlds-spiciest-lollipop) - World's Hottest Chocolate Bar 9,000,000 (extract) SHU · [source](https://www.vat19.com/item/worlds-hottest-chocolate-bar) - Blair's 16 Million Reserve (sold out) about 16,000,000 SHU · [source](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/hottest-hot-sauce-in-the-world) ## Good to know - Figures from Wikipedia's Ghost pepper page (edited 26 September 2026): 1,041,427 SHU in a 2004 HPLC test; 855,000 SHU reported in 2000. - Search figure: Google Keyword Planner, average monthly US searches for “ghost chili”, 2026-11-11. TikTok figure: scout's pulls through 2026-11-10. ## Watch the ghost pepper challenge [ ▶**Ghost Pepper Chilli Showdown** Guinness World Records · YouTube · 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq3k1eOh95c)[ ▶**The Ghost Pepper Challenge** Good Mythical Morning · YouTube · 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dFMCf8zi5s) Videos open on YouTube. We don't make or endorse them; they show what the challenge looks like. ## More extremes [Hottest gummy bear](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/hottest-gummy-bear) [Hottest hot sauce](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/hottest-hot-sauce) [Fire Noodle Challenge](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/fire-noodle-challenge) [Sourest candy](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/sourest-candy) [Biggest gummy candy](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/biggest-gummy-candy) [Strongest coffee](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/strongest-coffee) [Hottest Takis](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/hottest-takis) [Carolina Reaper](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/carolina-reaper) [Hottest candy](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/hottest-candy) [Disturbing candy](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/disturbing-candy) [Black Death sour challenge](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/worlds-sourest-candy-challenge) [Freeze-dried candy](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/freeze-dried-candy) [Strongest energy drinks](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/strongest-energy-drinks) [Sourest gummies](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/sourest-gummies) [Hottest Tabasco sauce](https://sharpest.ai/extremes/hottest-tabasco-sauce) ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Ghost pepper, read 2026-11-11](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_pepper): “In 2007, Guinness World Records certified that the ghost pepper was the world's hottest chili pepper, 170 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.” --- As of 2026-11-12. Canonical page: https://sharpest.ai/extremes/ghost-pepper