Chilli Chinese Wraith

Chinese Wraith grows in clusters on surprisingly compact plants, producing chillies that are hot, hot, hot – with a sharp, sour-citrus flavour. The fruits ripen from green to pale yellow, and sometimes to a creamy white. At 70,000–200,000 SHU (and potentially higher), this is one of the hottest chillies we offer – but it's also earlier and more productive than other super-hot types. A great choice for pickles and sauces.

This is a Capsicum chinense, descended from the famous ghost chilli (Naga Morich). The name Naga comes from Nagaland in Northeast India, where these chillies are traditionally used green. In Europe, they’re more often left to ripen fully on the plant.

SOW & GROW: best sown indoors from February to April into warm compost, barely covering the seeds – they need light to germinate. Once seedlings have 2–3 leaves, pot up and grow on. Move to a greenhouse or, after hardening off, plant outside in a warm, sheltered spot. They grow well in containers or 3–4 to a grow bag. Plants stay compact, and the fruits reach about 4cm long by 2cm wide.

ENJOY: traditionally they are used green for sauces or pickles, or leave to ripen to pale yellow or creamy white. Expect serious heat, so handle with care – but you’ll also get a lot of flavour, especially in fermented or vinegar-based recipes.

NOTE: Under UK conditions, you can expect 70,000–200,000 SHU, but in ideal growing conditions they may be hotter. As a descendant of Naga Morich, this chilli has serious heat in its genes – that line has reached over 1,000,000 SHU.