ChilliFacts

Naga Morich vs Ghost Pepper

Ghost Pepper is hotter, at about 1,001,304 SHU against 1,000,000 SHU for Naga Morich: about 1× as hot, using typical values. Across the measured ranges the gap runs from 0.6× to 1.3×.

Data checked October 20, 2026 · How we rank and verify

Two ripe red ghost peppers (Bhut Jolokia) held in a hand
Two ripe red ghost peppers (Bhut Jolokia) held in a hand. Photo: PepperParadise, CC BY-SA 3.0.
1,000,000 SHUNaga Morich
1,001,304 SHUGhost Pepper
1×Heat ratio
Ghost PepperHotter
Pepper X: 2,693,000 SHUDragon's Breath: 2,480,000 SHUCarolina Reaper: 1,641,183 SHUTrinidad Scorpion Butch T: 1,463,700 SHU7 Pot Primo: 1,400,000 SHUKomodo Dragon: 1,400,000 SHUNaga Viper: 1,382,118 SHUTrinidad Moruga Scorpion: 1,200,000 SHUInfinity: 1,176,182 SHU7 Pot Brain Strain: 1,175,000 SHU7 Pot Douglah: 1,170,000 SHUDorset Naga: 1,032,310 SHUDalle Khursani: 393,950 SHUFatalii: 262,500 SHURed Savina: 248,556 SHUHabanero: 225,000 SHUScotch Bonnet: 225,000 SHUDatil: 200,000 SHUKanthari: 80,640 SHUBird's Eye Chilli: 75,000 SHUCayenne: 40,000 SHUTabasco: 40,000 SHUGuntur Chilli: 36,160 SHUKashmiri Chilli: 20,800 SHUSerrano: 15,000 SHUByadgi Chilli: 10,000 SHUJalapeño: 5,000 SHUGhost Pepper · 1MNaga Morich · 1M1K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Naga Morich and Ghost Pepper on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Side by side

Naga MorichGhost Pepper
Typical heat1,000,000 SHU1,001,304 SHU
Measured range800,000–1,500,000 SHU855,000–1,041,427 SHU
StatusBreeder claimLab tested
SpeciesCapsicum chinenseCapsicum chinense (with RAPD evidence of introgression from C. frutescens)
OriginBangladesh (Sylhet) and Northeast IndiaNortheast India: Assam, Nagaland and Manipur (also Meghalaya, Mizoram and the Sylhet region of Bangladesh)
FlavourIntensely fruity, almost floralNot documented
Coloursred, orangered (ripe), green (unripe)

The Scoville maths

The Scoville scale is linear: a pepper at 2,000,000 SHU has twice the capsaicinoids of one at 1,000,000 SHU. So the ratio is a simple division, 1,001,304 ÷ 1,000,000 ≈ 1×. Real pods vary, so the gap between any two fruits can be smaller or larger (0.6× to 1.3× across the measured ranges).

About each pepper

Naga Morich: 'Morich' is a word for chilli in Bengali and related languages.

Ghost Pepper: A traditional landrace of Northeast India.

Compare either pepper with another →

Questions

Which is hotter, Naga Morich or Ghost Pepper?

Ghost Pepper. It averages about 1,001,304 SHU against 1,000,000 SHU for Naga Morich, about 1× as hot.

How many times hotter is Ghost Pepper than Naga Morich?

About 1× using typical values (1,001,304 ÷ 1,000,000). Comparing the extremes of each measured range gives anywhere from 0.6× to 1.3×.

How hot is Naga Morich?

Naga Morich: 800,000–1,500,000 SHU, breeder claim.

How hot is Ghost Pepper?

Ghost Pepper: 855,000–1,041,427 SHU, lab tested.

Are Naga Morich and Ghost Pepper the same species?

No. Naga Morich is Capsicum chinense; Ghost Pepper is Capsicum chinense (with RAPD evidence of introgression from C. frutescens).

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Sources

  1. Sarpras et al., PLoS One 11(12):e0167791 (2016): Naga Morich: Naga morich as a Nagaland name for the Bhut Jolokia group
  2. Bosland & Baral, HortScience 42(2):222-224 (2007), New Mexico State University: Ghost Pepper: 1,001,304 SHU; method; independent lab values; seed provenance; species; names
  3. NMSU News Center, 13 Feb 2012 (Chile Pepper Institute study by Bosland, Coon, Reeves): Ghost Pepper: Guinness certification in 2007; 2012 mean of almost 1.02M

Full source lists are on each pepper's page.