Then Mr. Bosland was told of the Bhut Jolokia, or ghost pepper, a variety grown in remote Assam, India, that was being studied by the Indian army for use in grenades.
The bhut jolokia pepper, which is farmed in the northeast part of the country, was plucked from obscurity last year when the Guinness Book of World Records declared it the world's hottest.
The "ghost chili", also known as bhut jolokia, has more than 1 million Scoville units, while Tabasco sauce ranges from 2, 500 to 5, 000 Scoville units and jalapeno peppers from 2, 500 to 8, 000 units.