ChilliFacts

Raja Mircha Scoville Heat

Raja Mircha is the same landrace group as the Ghost Pepper, so we don't rank it separately. Samples tested at 272,897–1,037,305 SHU; the ghost pepper's lab mean is 1,001,304 SHU.

Also called Naga Mircha, Naga King Chilli. Capsicum chinense.

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

1,001,304 SHUTypical heat
272,897–1,037,305 SHUMeasured range
200×Against a jalapeño
Lab testedStatus

Where the number comes from

It belongs to the same landrace group as the ghost pepper (Bhut Jolokia), so we leave its typical figure blank and do not count it twice in rankings. Sarpras et al. (2016) found 272,897 to 1,037,305 SHU across Northeast Indian accessions of this group.

Origin

Nagaland, India (GI districts: Kohima, Peren, Mon, Dimapur). This is Nagaland's name for the same Northeast Indian landrace group as Bhut Jolokia. The GI application describes 'Chudi Chilly, commonly known as Naga Mircha or Raja Mircha' ('king of chillies'). Indian researchers use Naga King chili / Naga morich (Nagaland), Bhut Jolokia (Assam) and Umorok (Manipur) for the same pepper. Local strains vary, so 'same pepper' means the same landrace group, not one fixed cultivar. [1]

Flavour and looks

Colours: red.

Facts

  • 'Naga Mircha' is the only GI covering this pepper type on the Spices Board's GI list (as of Sep 2026). It is registered to Nagaland, and no separate Assam 'Bhut Jolokia' GI appears. [2]
  • Sarpras et al. (2016) identified 17 Northeast Indian C. chinense genotypes above 0.9 million SHU, and found some low-pungency Bhut Jolokia genotypes at about 273,000 SHU. [3]

Record history

  • 2007-08-22: GI application no. 109 'Naga Mircha' filed by Nagaland's Department of Horticulture & Agriculture
  • 2008-12-02: GI certificate no. 99 issued (the Registry page header shows '02-12-2003', which conflicts with its own certificate document dated 02-12-2008)
  • 2017-06-27: GI renewed (valid to 21-08-2027)

Raja Mircha compared

Compare Raja Mircha with any other pepper →

Part of our guide to Indian chilli varieties.

Questions

How hot is Raja Mircha?

Raja Mircha measures 272,897–1,037,305 SHU, with a typical figure of 1,001,304 SHU. That puts it among the superhots, peppers above 1 million SHU.

How many times hotter is Raja Mircha than a jalapeño?

About 200× a typical jalapeño (1,001,304 vs 5,000 SHU). Against the hottest jalapeños it is about 125×, and against the mildest about 401×.

Is Raja Mircha the hottest pepper in the world?

No. Measured by a university, government or peer-reviewed lab. The verified record holder is Pepper X at 2,693,000 SHU.

Where does Raja Mircha come from?

Nagaland, India (GI districts: Kohima, Peren, Mon, Dimapur). This is Nagaland's name for the same Northeast Indian landrace group as Bhut Jolokia.

Is the Raja Mircha heat figure verified?

Lab tested: Measured by a university, government or peer-reviewed lab. It belongs to the same landrace group as the ghost pepper (Bhut Jolokia), so we leave its typical figure blank and do not count it twice in rankings.

Sources

  1. IP India GI Registry, application 109 (Naga Mircha): GI application details, names, districts
  2. Spices Board India, 'List of GI Tags Registered for Spices' (as of 15/09/2026): GI list status
  3. Sarpras et al., PLoS One 11(12):e0167791 (2016): synonymy and SHU range
  4. Wikipedia, Naga Morich: local dialect names (secondary source)