Chocolate 7 Pot Brainstrain

Chocolate 7 Pot Brainstrain

This is a newer cultivar of C. chinense.. The name is derived from the alleged ability to heat up seven pots of stew with just one of the pepper. Factor in the color – hence the name “chocolate”. “Brain” from the wrinkled exterior, like a brain. This pepper provides quite the heat source for sauces, salsas, and marinades, bringing a fruity and barely smoky flavor under its blowtorch heat.  Warming: A little really will go a long way.

The Chocolate 7 Pot Brainstrain will take quite a while to provide ripe fruit. The plant prefers it warm and humid, as far as this may be in its native Caribbean, but will still do well in a midwestern summer as long as the seeds are started well in advance of transplanting. They may require more days, often as many as 160 from seed to ripen. The pods also develop a pitted and wrinkled texture, characteristic of a brain, hence the “brainstrain” part of its name. This variety demands well-drained soil, even moisture, and is at its best while grown in full sun. The growing time and cultivation required of this species puts in a bit of effort in comparison to growing some other peppers, but the reward of a harvest from these unique and super-hot peppers proves to be a culinary experience that is so worth it for many gardeners.

Fun Facts

• The Chocolate 7 Pot Brainstrain is a member of the “superhot” class of chilies, with Scoville Heat Units (SHU) normally going above the 1,000,000 mark – putting it in the ranges of the spiciest peppers of the world.