Dorset Naga

The Dorset Naga is a superhot Capsicum chinense cultivar developed through selective breeding in West Bexington, Dorset, United Kingdom, by Michael and Joy Michaud of Sea Spring Seeds. Introduced in 2006, the open-pollinated variety was stabilized from Bangladeshi Naga Morich germplasm, establishing itself as the first UK-developed superhot pepper to surpass one million Scoville Heat Units in laboratory analysis.

Distinguished by its deeply wrinkled conical pods that mature from green to red, the cultivar exhibits a thin wall thickness and pendant growth habit on bushy plants. With laboratory-tested heat ratings spanning 661,000 to 1,598,227 SHU, the Dorset Naga combines intense capsaicin concentration with pronounced fruity and floral aromatic notes.

Origin and Genetics

The Dorset Naga was developed in West Bexington, Dorset, United Kingdom, by breeders Michael and Joy Michaud operating under Sea Spring Seeds. The lineage originated from a batch of Naga Morich seed stock purchased in the UK with geographic origins in Bangladesh. Through successive generations of single-plant selection, the Michauds isolated and stabilized uniform traits for high capsaicin content and characteristic pod morphology, formally releasing the stable, open-pollinated cultivar in 2006.

Botanical Profile

Plants feature a bushy growth habit with standard green foliage and small, greenish-white flowers typical of the species. The fruits grow in a pendant orientation, forming conical, wedge-shaped pods defined by a rough, heavily wrinkled outer surface and thin pericarp walls. Immature fruits begin green before undergoing a full color transition to a vibrant red upon reaching full maturity. Internally, the pods produce straw-colored seeds.

Heat Profile

Classified as exceptionally hot, the Dorset Naga undergoes significant capsaicinoid accumulation. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) testing conducted across multiple growing seasons by Southwest Bio-Labs and Warwick HRI documented heat concentrations ranging from 661,000 to 1,598,227 SHU. This testing marked the cultivar as the first UK-bred pepper to officially cross the one-million Scoville threshold.

Flavor and Aroma

Beneath its extreme pungency, the cultivar possesses a distinct fruity and floral flavor profile. The aroma is intensely pungent with noticeable fruity undertones, characteristic of landrace-derived superhot chinense varieties.

Cultivation

Dorset Naga performs best under full sun conditions and is particularly well-suited for greenhouse cultivation, especially in temperate maritime climates like the United Kingdom. Because it is a stable, open-pollinated cultivar, it breeds true to type when cross-pollination from other varieties is prevented.

Culinary Applications

Due to its high heat and thin cell walls, the cultivar is exceptionally well-suited for drying into potent spice powders, blending into concentrated hot sauces, or infusing traditional curries. In addition to sauce production and dehydration, the harvested pods retain their heat profile well when preserved through freezing.