India's New Military Weapon: 'Ghost Chili'

The Indian military has a new weapon against terrorism: the world's hottest chili. Defense officials have decided to use the thumb-sized "bhut jolokia," or "ghost chili," to make tear-gas-like hand grenades to immobilize suspects. "The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories," a spokesman says.

The bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world's spiciest chili. It is grown and eaten in India's northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles, and a way to fight the crippling summer heat. It has more than 1 million Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili's spiciness. Classic Tobasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000. (More India stories.)