Ghost Peppers

Sure you know ice cream, who doesn’t? Unless you’re lactose intolerant, chances are you’re crazy about this stuff. We all have our favorite flavors, and most of us are willing to try one over the other, but there’s an ice cream flavor that’s definitely not for the kids. No, we’re not talking about insect-flavored Fear Factor-style ice cream, but ghost pepper ice cream—ice cream that’s ironically the hottest thing on Earth.

For some you who might not be aware of the ghost peppers, it is the spiciest chili on Earth, at least according to the Guiness Book of World Records. Ghost peppers are originally grown in India, but some folks from the Western World (that’s us) are growing their own ghost pepper plants to have a taste of the meanest chili pepper on the planet. It has over a million Scoville units (units used to measure the hotness of a pepper), over 500 times hotter than the Tabasco chili that’s used in most hot sauces. Experts say that a mere pinch of ghost pepper is enough to make any meal inedible. Ghost peppers are so hot that every person who has tried it says that eating one is like ingesting battery acid and glass shards.  With all of these descriptions about the ghost pepper, is it really an ideal ice cream flavor?

It’s not, but gastronomic daredevils think otherwise. Because heat in the mouth is immediately subsided with dairy products, hence the presence of yogurt and milk in chili eating contests, they thought it would be logical to mix ghost peppers with ice cream. Just imagine having a lick of an edible and sweet lava rock on a cone, though we’re pretty sure the sweetness will be overpowered by the intense spiciness. For some it is the perfect way to eat ghost peppers, in a dessert where the heat is reduced by a gelatinous frozen cream. No kid will ever be prepared for the extreme heat of a ghost pepper ice cream, that is why it is only intended for adults—a select group of adults for that matter.

Although it is still unlikely to spot a ghost pepper flavored ice cream in your nearest ice cream shop (thank goodness), one can easily whip it up with the right ingredients. Serve it on parties or drinking sessions, and see if you’ll think of dessert the same way again.