From Special Correspondent
New Delhi, March 19: Certified as the world’s hottest chilli pepper in the Guinness World Records, 2017, what has the famous Bhut Jolokia, the hottest chilli of the northeast, to do with the once-disturbed region?
However, PICO, an online e-market platform in the UK has sparked concerns over its description of the Naga Ghost Pepper Sauce, which misrepresents northeast India by portraying the region as a ‘politically volatile, militarized zone.’
“What is more, the spiciest of these chillies grow deep inside a politically volatile, militarized zone in northeast India. The story of how we found the best chilli farms in the region is about as spicy as the chilli themselves!” a caution, the label of the Bhut Jolokia said.
The product description on the platform also reads: “This sauce is incredibly spicy. Please eat it with caution! The notorious ghost pepper, known in India as the Bhut Jolokia, is so pungent that farmers hang bunches of the chilli on their fences to ward off herds of elephants.
While Bhut Jolokia is widely celebrated for its extreme heat and rich culinary significance, linking its cultivation to political instability and militarization is misleading and paints an unfair picture of northeast India. The region is home to diverse cultures, thriving agriculture, and a growing economy.
The region’s agri-business sector, including the cultivation of Bhut Jolokia in Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur, has been gaining international recognition. The chilli has even received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, further emphasizing its authenticity and importance as a regional agricultural product.
Exporters fear that such descriptions can impact global perceptions of the region, influencing everything from tourism to trade. This is at a time when barring Manipur, the entire northeast is relatively peaceful and trying for more investments, especially in the tourism sector.
