TIP: Hottest thing on Earth

OK, may be there are hotter things on our dear planet, but this pepper, that is the subject of this tip, is too hot to handle by chilli loving Indians too. The small green chillies that are supposed to be the-hottest stand nowhere close. This pepper is called Ajuma (can also be spelled Adjoema in Dutch) and comes from Suriname.

The Surinamese population in Holland are the only consumers of this pepper. Adjoema looks like bell pepper and may easily be taken for a small Shimla mirch. It comes in Yellow, Red, Orange and Light Green colors, however I do not know how they are different. The below picture shows red and yellow ajumas.



As green chillies have a very nice flavor, Ajumas too have a flavor. Of what I have experience, the flavor is not very nice and may not appeal to Indians. A couple of Ajumas may overpower a curry with their flavor in addition to making the curry exceptionally hot.

Ajumas can be purchased from Turkish/Surinamese stores and in some cases also super markets. They cosy anything between € 10-15 per kilo depending on the quality and freshness. Green chillies on the other hand range from € 6-9 per kilo.

Do give it a try.

Update: I found out lately that these peppers are also known as Madame Jeanette!

Update2: (Taken from wikipedia)
The substances that gives chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically is
capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called
capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in pepper spray. The "heat" of chili peppers is
measured in Scoville units (SHU). Bell peppers rank at 0 (SHU), New Mexico green chilis at about 1,500 SHU, jalapeños at 3,000–6,000 SHU, and habaneros at 300,000 SHU. The record for the hottest chili pepper was assigned by the Guinness Book of Records to the Naga Jolokia, measuring over 1,000,000 SHU.