Chile Pepper Fun Fact - The Chile Pepper Institute
Did you know there is an actual IRL Chile Pepper Institute?
The Chile Pepper Institute is the only international, non-profit organization devoted to education and research related to Capsicum, or chile peppers. Established in 1992, the Institute builds on the research of chile peppers since the famous horticulturalist Fabian Garcia (the father of the U.S. chile pepper industry) began standardizing chile pepper varieties in 1888. The Institute is located on the New Mexico State University campus, Las Cruces, NM in Gerald Thomas Hall, Room 265 (575-646-3028). In the Institute visitors will discover chile research posters, chile pepper books, art, and hundreds of high-demand and hard-to-find chile pepper seed varieties.
The Chile Pepper Institute is responsible for discovering the then world's hottest chile pepper, the Bhut Jolokia, led at that time by Paul W. Bosland, and confirmed by the Guinness World Records in the Fall of 2006. Many interesting records about chile peppers are discovered at the Chile Pepper Institute including the world's largest chile pepper, the Numex Big Jim specimen, that was developed in 1976 at NMSU, and the recently released specimen chile pepper, NuMex Heritage 6-4, which is five times the flavor of a standard green chile. CPI also host different programs, events and conferences in local, national, and international levels.