ChilliFacts

Naga Morich Scoville Heat

Naga Morich measures 800,000–1,500,000 SHU, with a typical figure of 1,000,000 SHU: about 200× a typical jalapeño.

Also called Naga Moresh, serpent chilli. Capsicum chinense.

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

1,000,000 SHUTypical heat
800,000–1,500,000 SHUMeasured range
200×Against a jalapeño
Breeder claimStatus
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 SHUGhost Pepper: 1,001,304 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 SHUNaga Morich · 1M1K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Where Naga Morich sits on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Where the number comes from

No primary test of a pepper sold as 'Naga Morich' was found. The 800,000 low end is chilipepper.com (via Wikipedia), and 1-1.5 million is from Chili Pepper Madness. If it is the same landrace group as Bhut Jolokia, as Sarpras et al. (2016) treat it, the Bhut Jolokia lab data applies (about 1.0M).

Origin

Bangladesh (Sylhet) and Northeast India. 'Morich' is a word for chilli in Bengali and related languages. In Nagaland, Indian researchers use 'Naga morich' and 'Naga King chili' as names for the Bhut Jolokia group. Western seed trade treats the Bangladeshi Naga Morich as a slightly smaller, pimplier strain. [1]

Flavour and looks

Intensely fruity, almost floral.

Colours: red, orange.

Blooming heat that builds

Facts

  • Parent of the Dorset Naga, and claimed as a parent of the Naga Viper and 7 Pot Primo. [3]

Hotter and milder

Naga Morich compared

Compare Naga Morich with any other pepper →

Part of our guide to Indian chilli varieties.

Questions

How hot is Naga Morich?

Naga Morich measures 800,000–1,500,000 SHU, with a typical figure of 1,000,000 SHU. That puts it among the superhots, peppers above 1 million SHU.

How many times hotter is Naga Morich than a jalapeño?

About 200× a typical jalapeño (1,000,000 vs 5,000 SHU). Against the hottest jalapeños it is about 125×, and against the mildest about 400×.

Is Naga Morich the hottest pepper in the world?

No. Number published by a breeder or seller; no independent lab named. The verified record holder is Pepper X at 2,693,000 SHU.

Where does Naga Morich come from?

Bangladesh (Sylhet) and Northeast India. 'Morich' is a word for chilli in Bengali and related languages.

Is the Naga Morich heat figure verified?

Breeder claim: Number published by a breeder or seller; no independent lab named. No primary test of a pepper sold as 'Naga Morich' was found.

Sources

  1. Sarpras et al., PLoS One 11(12):e0167791 (2016): Naga morich as a Nagaland name for the Bhut Jolokia group
  2. Wikipedia, Naga Morich: more than 800,000 SHU; distinction from Bhut Jolokia (secondary source)
  3. Chili Pepper Madness, Dec 2018: 1-1.5M SHU; flavour (secondary source)