Jay Sheldon, an MFA in Sculpture came to Brooklyn from Kansas City to pursue his art career. Settling in Bushwick in 2003, he immediately started working his craft. Now living in Williamsburg, Sheldon’s love for art, design & food set his sights on the hottest pepper in the world:
Bhut Jolokia – Ghost Pepper. Sheldon truly loves this pepper not only because of its amazing taste but the pepper’s unique shape and oddness remind him of his art. He knew the Ghost deserved packaging just as remarkable as the pepper to get other food & art lovers interested enough to give it a try. Here’s what he says about starting his Brooklyn based business and his love for the Ghost Pepper:
A few years back, while living in Kansas City (known for its barbecue and spice rubs), I was introduced to the legendary Ghost Pepper. I’ve always been interested in great food, spice and food culture. Now, living in Brooklyn, I’ve expanded my palate even further and I know the Ghost has something incredible to offer. I was drawn to the pepper’s unique shape, smell and name. When I first experimented with the Ghost, I knew I wanted to share it with the world. Its awesome taste was one I’d never encountered before. The Ghost Pepper is authentic, powerful and it appeals to all the senses.
All our products are artistically created in small batches of the highest quality in Brooklyn, NY. Primarily sold on-line and at local Brooklyn shops like the Brooklyn Kitchen, the Ghost Pepper’s artistic product design and unique flavor appeal to local food, spice and design conscious folks. Sheldon also paired up with a small NYC candy maker to make a spicy watermelon candy that is unlike anything out there! Hand made with the ghost powder, the candy has tongue tingling spice combined with amazing sweetness (the sugar naturally cuts the intensity of the spice). Really unique about this candy is not only the taste but the natural brain boost that comes along with it! The Ghost is also sold at local Brooklyn craft /food fairs including the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens annual Chile Pepper Fiesta. He’d love to talk more about his exciting new food venture.
Check out the website at www.bhut-pepper.com
Okay everyone, when I was told I’d be receiving this product I became very happy!!! I received them in the mail…then the fun began! This product can be added on anything…I would carry it with me everywhere I went and I did so often my family joked at me saying, ”Look, Dad has his Crack Pack with him.” The heat of the Ghost Pepper is very hot although I find it to be bearable for my Cajun palate. The flavor of the ghost is that of a smoked chipotle. The color you will find when you purchase is a deep red and when you boil that bad boy down for your recipe(s) you will see that it makes the water turn red. The spicy watermelon candy is something you will want to keep eating. You will get that sweet flavor with the slight heat and it will hook you in the jaw like a big red fish taking a crab, hook line and sinker!! The fine ground Bhut Pepper dust can be sprinkled on any dish, onto any ice cream or onto any fruit…try it you’ll love it!!
I give the Bhut Pepper products a 5 out of 5 rating and a great big Cajun Aiyeeeee!!!
The Ghost Pepper has great health, dietary and medicinal benefits. This has been known to most of the world for hundreds of years but is now only coming into its own in the Western world. The key ingredient in hot peppers, Capsaicin is associated with curing many ailments, and promoting good health. It is also being studied for use in pain treatment for post-surgical pain. It is a major component in the “Master Cleanse” diet. It is also used for arthritis pain relief, migraine pain relief, muscle pain relief, pain relief from strains and sprains, sinus and headache relief, digestion problems, to lower blood pressure, to boost energy and more!
Ingredients: Easy enough…Ghost peppers! Ghost Pepper Dust (Finely ground Ghost pepper), Ghost Pepper Bumps (crushed Ghost Peppers), Ghost Pepper Candy (Watermelon & Ghost Pepper) using my best Bubba voice from the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.
The Ghost Pepper has great health, dietary and medicinal benefits. This has been known to most of the world for hundreds of years but is now only coming into its own in the Western world. The key ingredient in hot peppers, Capsaicin is associated with curing many ailments, and promoting good health. It is also being studied for use in pain treatment for post-surgical pain. It is a major component in the “Master Cleanse” diet. It is also used for arthritis pain relief, migraine pain relief, muscle pain relief, pain relief from strains and sprains, sinus and headache relief, digestion problems, to lower blood pressure, to boost energy and more!
Taste..5 out of 5. I really love heat but I get the smoked chipotle flavor and this product really excited me…just in case you did know that already. This product was used on hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sausage gumbo, added into salsa (any salsa because Bhut-Pepper will kick it up). Red beans & rice, white beans & rice, chili and last but not least on Peach Papaya Sherbet.
I went to the Bhut Pepper website www.bhut-pepper.com for other ideas and found that it could be used in many recipes. Below are just a couple of recipes that I find very interesting!
Ghost Pepper Oil
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups canola oil
- 1 dried Ghost Chile Pepper (no stem) cut in half lengthwise
Method:
Preheat the oven to 225°F. In an oven-safe dish, add oils and ghost pepper. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 3 hours. Remove from oven, transfer to airtight container, and place in refrigerator to cool. For added heat, leave pepper in the oil. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Makes 3 cups.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds tomatillos
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup water to re-hydrate the pepper
- ½ cup fresh water (to add to salsa mixture)
- 1 dried ghost pepper (no stem)
- Salt to taste
Method:
1. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
2. Meanwhile, re-hydrate the ghost pepper by adding it to a sauce-pan with ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and let the pepper simmer for 5 minutes after boiling.
3. Place tomatillos, lime-juice, olive-oil, onions, cilantro and re-hydrated chili pepper, sugar and ½ cup of fresh water (discard the water used for re-hydrating the pepper) in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Makes 3 cups. Serve with chips!
04/29/2011 at 4:56 pm
Great job on the review Eddie..This is something that i will be ordering..
JBJ
05/06/2011 at 5:03 pm
Eddie, great review !
Sounds like the folks are making a really good product, and have a great marketing campaign.