Purple Naga Viper Pepper

The Purple Naga Viper Pepper is a rare and extremely hot member of the naga/chili pepper family. It was developed by a UK-based chilli breeder named Gerald Fowler by crossing the infamous Naga Morich with the Trinidad Scorpion pepper and a particular purple phenotype of the Bhut Jolokia. The Purple Naga Viper Pepper is an incredibly hot pepper, with an average Scoville Heat Unit rating of around 1.3 million, which makes it one of the hottest chili peppers in the world.

The height of the purple naga viper pepper plant ranges from 1-3 feet tall, and it produces purple/pink flowers before developing into pepper pods. The pods themselves are 2-3 inches long and grow with a slightly curved shape. The skin of the pepper starts green and matures to a deep purple color when fully grown. They’re quite thin-walled with a little bit of wrinkling.

When eaten fresh, the Purple Naga Viper Pepper has a complex, fruity flavor with a slight smokiness. However, with heat levels this high, it’s more often used to provide extreme heat in hot sauces and other condiments. It’s not for the faint of heart, and even for seasoned chili-eaters, care should still be taken with trying this pepper.