Here's How To Eat The Super-Hot Ghost Pepper And Live To Talk About It

The ghost pepper is spicy, as in 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce, 10 times hotter than the hottest habanero, and can bring a grown man to his knees. According to the New York Post referencing a 1980 study, "Eating three pounds of the chilies could easily take the life of a 150-pound individual."

Luckily, most people would realize they should probably lay off the scorching pepper after just one bite. The bhut jolokia or ghost pepper is a chile pepper hybrid native to India, which briefly held the prize as the hottest pepper in the world in 2007, but has been unseated by several even more scorching chile peppers since.

How can you enjoy tolerate the heat from this pepper without risking the ultimate sacrifice? Traditionally, ghost pepper has been used in curry recipes, pickling brines, chutneys, and more to add some depth of flavor and, of course, intense heat.

Try adding a conservative pinch to fresh salsas, add powdered ghost pepper to your homemade tomato sauce for a spicy diablo twist, or season your traditional curries with the blazing hot pepper.

This super-hot chile pepper can be found ground, fresh, or dried for your cooking enjoyment, but always add sparingly because when it comes to this spicy pepper, less is definitely more.

Angela Carlos is the Cook Editor at The Daily Meal. Find her on Twitter and tweet @angelaccarlos.