Here’s a detailed description of each of the ghost pepper varieties you mentioned:
### 1. **Red Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)**
- **History & Background**: Originally from Assam, India, the Red Ghost Pepper is the most well-known and original Bhut Jolokia variety.
- **Heat Level**: Around 800,000 to 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it one of the hottest peppers in the world.
- **Appearance**: The peppers are medium to large, wrinkled, and thin-walled, typically measuring 2 to 3 inches long. The pods ripen to a bright red.
- **Flavor**: Sweet, slightly fruity flavor underneath its extreme heat.
- **Plant Characteristics**: Bushy plants, reaching up to 4 feet in height, with dark green leaves.
### 2. **Yellow Ghost Pepper**
- **History & Background**: A color variant of the original red Bhut Jolokia, developed through selective breeding.
- **Heat Level**: Similar to the red variety, around 800,000 to 1,041,427 SHU.
- **Appearance**: Similar wrinkled appearance but ripens to a bright yellow color. Pods are about 2-3 inches long.
- **Flavor**: Slightly tangier and more citrusy than the red variety, but still very fruity.
- **Plant Characteristics**: Bushy plant that grows 3 to 4 feet tall, with glossy green leaves.
### 3. **Mustard Ghost Pepper**
- **History & Background**: A rare color variant of the Bhut Jolokia, often developed by crossing the red ghost with other mustard-colored peppers.
- **Heat Level**: Around 800,000 to 1,000,000 SHU, slightly milder than some red varieties.
- **Appearance**: Pods start green and ripen to a mustard or olive-brown color, with the same characteristic wrinkling as other ghost peppers.
- **Flavor**: Earthy, tangy, and slightly smoky with fruity undertones.
- **Plant Characteristics**: The plants grow up to 4 feet tall, with similar growth habits to the red ghost.
### 4. **Peach Ghost Pepper**
- **History & Background**: This variety is a result of breeding ghost peppers for unique color variations.
- **Heat Level**: Around 800,000 to 1,000,000 SHU, with some variation.
- **Appearance**: The pods ripen to a peachy-pink color and have the same wrinkled texture. They are about 2-3 inches long.
- **Flavor**: Fruity, slightly sweet, with a floral hint, offering a complex flavor alongside intense heat.
- **Plant Characteristics**: Similar to other ghost varieties, plants can grow to around 4 feet, with glossy green leaves.
### 5. **Purple Ghost Pepper**
- **History & Background**: A rare and stunning variety of Bhut Jolokia, selectively bred for its deep purple coloration.
- **Heat Level**: Around 800,000 to 1,000,000 SHU.
- **Appearance**: The pods start purplish and mature to a dark red, and are smaller than typical red ghost peppers, around 2-3 inches in length.
- **Flavor**: A bit less sweet than the red variety, with more earthy, floral notes.
- **Plant Characteristics**: Grows slightly shorter than other varieties, often reaching 3-4 feet in height. The leaves also have a purple tint.
### 6. **Brazilian Caramel Ghost Pepper**
- **History & Background**: A rare caramel-colored variant originating from crossbreeding different ghost peppers in Brazil.
- **Heat Level**: Similar heat levels to other ghost peppers, around 800,000 to 1,000,000 SHU.
- **Appearance**: Pods ripen to a rich caramel-brown color. They are wrinkled and similar in size to red ghost peppers, about 2-3 inches long.
- **Flavor**: Sweet and slightly smoky, with complex, rich flavors alongside the intense heat.
- **Plant Characteristics**: Bushy plants that grow up to 4 feet tall, with bright green leaves and good fruit production.
Each of these ghost pepper varieties brings its own unique look and flavor, but all share the infamous heat of the Bhut Jolokia!