Ghost Busters

     There is some disagreement concerning the hottest known chile pepper.  But most agree it is the ghost pepper, Bhut Jolokia, of Assam, India  Registering anywhere from 855,000-1,000,000 units on the Scoville scale it is over 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce and makes jalapenos look like child's play.

     Coming in powdered, flakes or dried whole it is combined with food as a spice and a remedy to summer heat.  But it is also used as a weapon in hand grenades and as pepper spray to control and disperse mobs.  It is also an acknowledged deterrent for angry elephants.  Known in the Indian sub-continent for centuries it has only recently been introduced to the Western world in 2000.  And the medical community has taken notice of it as well, regarding it as a potential cure for various cancers like lung and prostate as well as providing relief from migraines, depression and incontinence.  It is also beneficial for those with digestion problems, backache, high blood pressure and the flu.

     As the old saying goes, "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger."  So it is with the ghost pepper.