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NMSU profiting from Holy Jolokia

NMSU now has its own hot sauce, Holy Jolokia, and a portion of bottle sales will contribute to an endowed chair and new facilities for the Chile Pepper Institute.

Holy Jolokia sauce is made from the Bhut Jolokia chile. Paul Bosland, regents professor of horticulture, holds a Guinness World Record for confirming Bhut Jolokia as "the hottest of all spices," tested at NMSU at more than one million Scoville Heat Units. This 2006 discovery was extraordinary since the previous record hot chile, a Red Savina, contained only 577,000 SHUs (a typical New Mexico green chile has 1,500 SHUs).

Holy Jolokia hot sauce was developed by CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. of Columbus, Ohio, after proprietors John and Sue Hard approached the Chile Pepper Institute about creating a sauce to recognize Bosland's accomplishment. Enthusiastic supporters of the fiery foods and chile industries, the Hards wanted to support research and education at the Chile Pepper Institute and offered to market the sauce and contribute a portion of sales to the institute.

After the sauce was developed, a team at NMSU assembled to name it. They considered Bos Sauce, Bhutiful Nightmare and Ghostmaker because Bhut Jolokia means "ghost chile" in Assam, India, the chile's homeland, but the Chile Pepper Institute settled on Holy Jolokia. The bottle features a chile pepper engulfed in flames and sporting an angel's halo. The label design follows NMSU branding standards and prominently displays the NMSU logo. A warning label reads, "Caution: Your taste buds may cry out ‘Holy Jolokia'."

Although chile lovers of New Mexico will attest that eating hot chile is a pleasurable, tasty and invigorating experience, Danise Coon, program coordinator at the Chile Pepper Institute, warns that over-indulgence in hot chile can result in uncomfortable symptoms such as hiccups, sweating and even blistered lips. Her advice for consumers of Holy Jolokia? "Start with one drop." The sauce has a savory, tangy flavor as well as a powerful heat.

Holy Jolokia hot sauce costs $10 a bottle and can be purchased from the Chile Pepper Institute in Gerald Thomas Hall Room 265. The institute can be reached at www.chilepepperinstitute.org or (575) 646-3028. The hot sauce also can be purchased from CaJohns Fiery Foods at CaJohns.com or (888) 703-FIRE.

Written by Amy Smith