site.btaHot Farm's Bulgarian Spirit Chilli Pepper Is 10 Times Hotter Than Traditional Local Varieties

Hot Farm, the first chilli pepper farm in Bulgaria and a leading innovator, has created a new variety - Bulgarian Spirit - which is 10 times hotter than any other traditional pepper in Bulgaria. It has a Scoville rating of 200,000, which ranks it among world-renowned varieties such as the Habanero chilli and the Birds Eye chilli, according to Hot Farm.

Bulgarian Spirit has a bizarre shape - the plant's structure resembles the typical Bulgarian chilli pepper plant, which is bush-like, but the shape of the fruit is exotic. The variety is marked by a strong pungency and citrus aroma that leave a lingering aftertaste. This is the fruit of six years of work, targeted selection and cultivation.

Hristo Rodinov, who created Bulgarian Spirit, started his journey into the world of chilli peppers in 2011. His passion is not related to a love of hot peppers; he set himself a challenge to grow the world's hottest peppers in Bulgaria - a country with four seasons. He discovered that, with the right adjustments, exotic hot peppers can indeed thrive in Bulgaria. Rodinov's grandfather's saying, "Never sow sweet peppers next to hot ones," became the top principle in his work, emphasizing the importance of understanding each plant's unique requirements. 

"I wanted to create a variety to provoke myself and all Bulgarians who do not find hot peppers hot enough. I wanted to create a chilli pepper that was extremely hot, but also produced much higher yields than the hottest pepper in the world. I wanted to put everything I know and can do into one variety that would be a worthy representative of Bulgaria as a Hot Destination, where we are developing a hot culture and moving forward. The Bulgarian Spirit variety underlines the commitment of Bulgarian producers to innovation and high quality," says Hristo Rodinov.

In his view, this pepper is proof that Bulgaria has a potential to make a significant impact on the global culinary scene.

Hot Farm is located in the village of Strashimirovo near Varna (on the Black Sea). It grows about 150 varieties of chilli peppers and makes sauces, jams, spices, dried chillies and olive oil. In 2022, the farm received a certificate for its Bulgarian Spirit variety.