Tapin Develops Hottest Chili

Rantau, South Kalimantan, 10/1 (AntaranewsKalsel) - Tapin District, South Kalimantan, develop chili pepper with extraordinary hot 17 times more than usual chili. Even the local government and the public believe this is the hottest in Indonesia.

Regent Tapin HM Arifin Arpan on planting trees in Ecotourism Proboscis Monkey in the Antang mining areas Mount Meratus Rantau on Tuesday said the hottest chili pepper only grows in the village of Hiyung, Central Tapin Sub-district, so it name after Hiyung chili.

"When we planted the chili pepper in other places, it seems to be less spicy, even tend to be no spicy. It's very strange," he said.

Once planted in Hiyung, it spicy taste folded many compared to the usual chili, Hiyung chili is now a mainstay commodity of Tapin, which is much sought after by traders, both from the region and outside.

Based on research, chili pepper developed by Hiyung farmers has level of spiciness up to 94,500 ppm, equivalent to 17 times the usual chili. The hottest spicy allegedly resulted from the acidity of the soil.

Now, he added, Hiyung chili farmers are enjoying decent results, when the price at farmer level reached Rp110 thousand per kilogram. There is an increase of three times than usual.

Hiyung chili was first planted by Subarjo (40), 23 years ago, precisely in 1993. He brought 200 seedlings from a mountain.

According Subarjo, besides being spicy, Hiyung chili also has the advantage of a durable power storage 10 days at normal room temperature.

Hiyung chili also boost the economy of Hiyung citizens, who used to work as laborers mostly galam woodcutters. From 420 families in the village, 85 percent now work as chili farmers. 

Now Tapin government has developed 200 hectares of land for Hiyung chili plants in the area of the total 3 thousand hectares potential land development.