(Photo: Boru O'Brien O'Connell)

The fire-ant-red powder you see here is derived from the bhut jolokia, the world’s hottest chile pepper, three times more potent than the next-hottest pepper, 400 times as fierce as the lowly jalapeño, and—thanks to Bushwick spice enthusiast Jay Sheldon—now available at Blue Apron Foods (814 Union St., nr. Seventh Ave., Park Slope; 718-230-3180). Sheldon first tasted the pepper a few years ago in Kansas City, and started experimenting with it in barbecue marinades. Now he’s created his own line of Ghost Pepper products, including hand-crushed flakes ($15 for a one-ounce jar), chop-at-your-own-risk whole dried peppers ($12 for three packets), and sweet-spicy watermelon hard candies ($10 for two packets).

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• Archive: “Best Bets”
• Table of Contents: Sep 13, 2010 issue of New York | Subscribe!