Bih Jolokia Chocolate

Bih Jolokia Chocolate is a brown-ripening form of Bih Jolokia, a regional ghost pepper type from Northeast India. The name “Bih” refers to the Bih area in Assam. It is closely related to Bhut Jolokia types cultivated in Assam and neighbouring states.

Pods are typically 5.5 to 8.0 cm long and approximately 2.5 to 3.5 cm wide. The surface is wrinkled and uneven, with an elongated shape ending in a blunt or slightly pointed tip. Immature pods are green and mature to a deep chocolate brown rather than red. The darker colour develops during ripening due to increased dark pigment concentration.

Plants commonly reach about 90.0 to 120.0 cm in height in warm growing conditions. Foliage is green and typical of Capsicum chinense types from the region. Pod walls are generally medium thickness.

Heat is widely reported around or above 1000000 SHU. While Bhut Jolokia was laboratory tested in 2006 at over one million SHU, there are no widely published independent laboratory results specific to the Chocolate Bih form. The working figure of 1000000 SHU reflects repeated grower and seller estimates consistent with the regional ghost pepper group.

Historically, Bih Jolokia types were cultivated by farming communities in Assam long before international recognition. The chocolate form appears to be a naturally occurring colour selection maintained locally rather than a modern deliberate hybrid. No commercial breeder is formally documented for its origin.

There is confusion between “Bih Jolokia Chocolate,” “Chocolate Bhut Jolokia,” and other brown ghost pepper types. Some sellers treat them as identical, while others list them separately. No clear published genetic studies formally separate these brown ghost types into distinct cultivars, so boundaries between them are not fully defined.

Like other Jolokia types from Assam, it is used in local cuisine including chutneys, pickles, and spicy dishes. Its heat is described as intense and long lasting, consistent with other ghost peppers from the region.