The scorching 7 pot douglah hot pepper is ranked among the hottest peppers in the world. But if you can handle the heat, you'll be rewarded with a sweet and nutty flavor that can a unique twist to any dish.
What’s In A Name – 7 Pot Douglah Pepper Facts
The 7 pot douglah is a rare chocolate brown member of Capsicum chinense native to the Caribbean. It’s one of several species of 7 pot peppers.
The designation 7 pot refers to the idea that just one of these scorching hot peppers is enough to flavor seven pots of stew. The second portion of the name, “douglah,” is the Trinidadian word for mixed race—in this case, African and Indian—and refers to this pepper’s lineage.
The unusual 7 pot douglah, sometimes referred to as chocolate 7 pot or chocolate 7 pod, claims the prize amongst the other 7 pots for heat and rarity, however.
7 Pot Douglah Quick Facts
Origin: Trinidad
Color: Starts green and matures to chocolate brown to dark brown
Flavor: Sweet, nutty, and extremely hot
Size: 2-3 inches
How Hot Are 7 Pot Douglah Peppers?
On the Scoville heat scale, 7 pot douglah comes in at a blistering 923,889–1,853,986 Scoville heat units (SHU).
The 7 pot douglah is classified as a superhot pepper. It’s currently ranked as the third hottest pepper in the world, just behind the Carolina reaper and the Trinidad Moruga scorpion, which can measure up to 2 million Scoville heat units (SHU).
For perspective on how that compares to more common peppers, check out the chart below:
- 7 pot douglah, 923,889 – 1,853,986 SHUs
- Bhut jolokia (Ghost pepper), 1,000,000+ SHUs
- Habanero, 100,000-350,000 SHUs
- Jalapeno, 2,500-8,000 SHUs
What Are Other Types Of 7 Pot Peppers?
7 pot douglah is just one of the 7 pot varieties. They all originate in Trinidad, and all have heat levels in the extreme range.
In addition to 7 pot douglah, there’s,
- 7 pot yellow. Yellow in color with a citrusy flavor and coming in at 1,000,000+ SHUs.
- 7 pot Jonah. Larger peppers that are red when mature and have a fruity flavor.
- 7 pot brain strain. Red peppers that measure over 1,200,000 SHU on average.
- Trinidad 7 pot pepper. Most common of the 7 pot peppers. Red in color and consistently over 1,000,000 SHU.
- 7 pot Primo. Created by Troy Primeaux, this cultivar is a cross of naga morich and a Trinidad 7 Pot pepper.
These will all add flavor and spice to your dishes – IF you can handle the heat.
What Can You Do With Chocolate 7 Pot Peppers?
The unique nutty flavor and heat of chocolate 7 pot peppers make them popular for making hot sauces or salsa.
They can also be dehydrated and ground into a powder to use in rubs to flavor meat or as a seasoning in soups or stews. Or you can create your own authentic 5-alarm chili.
In short, you can use the 7 pot douglah pepper anywhere you would another superhot pepper.
Where To Buy 7 Pot Douglah Peppers
You won’t have much luck finding chocolate 7 pots at your local grocer. These peppers are rarely found fresh in markets or even dried.
You may have luck at your local farmers’ market in the summer. You can also network with local chili growers to see if anyone is growing them for sale.
Can You Grow Chocolate 7 Pot Peppers?
Your best bet if you’d like to include chocolate 7 pot peppers in your culinary repertoire is to grow them yourself!
Finding 7 pot pepper plants at your local nursery may be difficult, but 7 pot douglah pepper seeds can be ordered online easily from specialty retailers or even Amazon.
7 pot douglahs are easy to grow and require similar conditions to most other pepper plants:
- Warm weather
- 6-8 hours of full sun
- Allowing the soil to dry between watering
When growing from seed, keep the soil warm and moist until germination, which will occur 7-10 days after sowing.
Once there are 5-6 sets of leaves, the plants are ready to be transplanted outdoors.
Substitutes For 7 Pot Douglah Peppers
If chocolate 7 pot douglahs aren’t available, the best choice is one of the other 7 pot varieties. These will provide the best match in heat and flavor profile.
You can also use the Trinidad Moruga scorpion, which will match the heat and have a similar flavor. The Trinidad Moruga scorpion is becoming easier to find in mainstream grocery store chains.
If you’re trying to match flavor but dial down the heat, a chocolate habanero will work well in place of the 7 pot douglah
Benefits Of Eating 7 Pot Peppers
Hot peppers offer fantastic health benefits if you can handle the heat.
Capsaicin, the chemical in peppers that’s responsible for a pepper’s heat, has anti-microbial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Benefits of hot peppers include:
- Aid in digestion
- Reduce inflammation
- Relieve headaches
- Speed up metabolism
- Assist in allergy relief
All hot peppers provide these and many other benefits. The intensity of these benefits increases along with heat, so if you are inclined to add spice to your life, you may also add years to your life!