NMSU’s Chile Pepper Institute set to ignite with Holy Jolokia spice rub

NMSU’s Chile Pepper Institute set to ignite with Holy Jolokia spice rub DATE: 05/15/2015 WRITER: Justin Bannister, 575-646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Adan Delval, 575-646-3028, cpi@nmsu.edu As the weather warms up and grills begin to fire up, New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute wants to make sure backyard chefs are equipped to bring the heat. That’s why they are partnering with CaJohns Fiery Foods to unveil the newest in the Holy Jolokia collection, a spice rub specially designed for barbecue. “The Holy Jolokia rub goes great with ribs,” said Adan Delval, a program specialist with the Chile Pepper Institute. “It is spicy but also sweet, giving meat a sweet and hot flavor. The best part is it is sodium free.” Since 2009, the Chile Pepper Institute has worked with CaJohns to produce and sell thousands of bottles of Holy Jolokia hot sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce, taco sauce and wing sauce, each made with Bhut Jolokia chile peppers – also known as the “Ghost Pepper,” one of the hottest peppers on the planet. In addition to Bhut Jolokia peppers, Holy Jolokia rub also contains a mix of other peppers and spices. “We hear all the time from people who can’t get enough of these Holy Jolokia products,” says Danise Coon, an NMSU agricultural research scientist who works with the Chile Pepper Institute. “This one is exciting because it’s the first dry rub in the Holy Jolokia line.” Bottles of Holy Jolokia rub cost $10. All proceeds from the sale of all Holy Jolokia products go toward an endowed chair for chile pepper research at NMSU. Holy Jolokia products are available at the Chile Pepper Institute, Gerald Thomas Hall Room 265 on the NMSU campus or online at www.chilepepperinstitute.org. The Chile Pepper Institute was established in 1992 and is part of NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. It’s the only international nonprofit organization devoted to chile pepper education and research.