Anandita Dutta Tamuly, a 26-year-old woman from Assam, India, smeared chilli pepper seeds on her eyes after gobbling up 51 of the world’s hottest chillies to earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records.   This challenge was under the watchful eye of chef Gordon Ramsay, who was monitoring her record attempt, while he was in India filming for a British’s Channel 4, TV program.  

Ramsay tried to consume one of the many chiles, but could manage only one of the chillies before calling for water and screaming: “It’s too much.” The Guinness Book of Records first recognised the bhut jolokia as the world’s hottest chilli in 2007.  

Measuring in at 1 million Scoville heat units, the bhut jolokia is known to the be world’s hottest known chile pepper (jalapenos, in comparison, contain roughly 2,500 to 8,000 Scovilles.)   According to winner, Mrs Tamuly,   

“I have been eating bhut jolokia since my childhood and never felt the hotness in my mouth.  

When I was five I had a sore tongue and my mother applied a chilli paste to cure the infection. Since then I developed a penchant for chillies.  

After that I found eating chillies was a great way to stay healthy.

Every time I have a cold or flu I just munch on some chillies and I feel better. 

To be honest, I barely notice them now.”  

The previous record was held by a South African woman who ate eight jalapeños in one minute in 2002.  

Now, I am a Lover for hot peppers, always have been, but I don’t think I could ever be able to eat as many as Mrs. Tamuly!