7 Pot Infinity Chilli

Bred in Grantham by Nick Woods of Fire Foods, and for a fortnight in February 2011 the hottest pepper in the world. The Naga Viper took the Guinness record off it two weeks later, but the name has stuck in chilli circles ever since, partly for the British connection and partly because the heat does what the name suggests. It builds. The first second is sweet and fruity, almost floral. Then it climbs for half a minute and settles into a burn that can sit with you for twenty minutes.

The fruits are 4 to 6cm, glossy deep red, gnarled and pitted, often finishing in a pointed scorpion tail. At over a million Scoville units it is around two hundred times a jalapeño. It needs a greenhouse or polytunnel here. This is a Capsicum chinense, so the seed germinates slowly and sulks without steady warmth, and outdoor cropping in Britain only works in the warmest southern summers.

Seed saved from your best fruits will come largely true, though as a recent selection the line is still settling and you may see some variation in pod shape. One plant supplies most households for a year. Wear gloves and eye protection when picking and processing the fruit.