Guwahati, Dec. 19: A 'flaming hot' slice of the Northeast has just spiced up an American fast food giant's recipe.

The US-headquartered KFC has included bhut jolokia as an ingredient for the new and unique Flaming Crunch Chicken, a signature crisp and juicy chicken dish of the company.

Bhut jolokia ( capsicum chinense) is considered one of the hottest naturally-grown chillies and abundantly found in the Northeast, particularly in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.

'The idea behind taking bhut jolokia on board was to not only make it suitable to the Indian palate but also elevate the experience of having KFC chicken with a compelling flavour of one of the world's hottest naturally grown chillies,' Dhruv Kaul, chief marketing officer, KFC India, told The Telegraph.

Launched this week, Flaming Crunch is available at all the 310 KFC outlets across India. There are nine KFC outlets in the Northeast, with three in Guwahati.

'Flaming Crunch will particularly appeal to people in the eastern zone, particularly in Bengal and Assam, where the love for KFC chicken is growing,' Kaul said.

But the quick service restaurant's preference for the variety came after considerable research on a number of chillies, their type and origin.

'We have done our research on some of the most interesting chillies such as Bird's Eye and Serrano, and finally found our best match in bhut jolokia. As it is, we are constantly on the lookout for innovation to take our menu to the next level. The combination of a great story and a great concept makes the recipe an outright winner,' he added.

The chain has explored all possibilities before coming up with the recipe. 'The high heat flavour of the variety helped us to decide on it over the rest. We decided to combine the flavour of the chilli and chicken for a spicy twist,' the official said.

On whether the chilli will be preferred in other recipes as well, Kaul hinted the concept was workable across the other platforms. 'As of now, we will see how Flaming Crunch is accepted in the market,' he said.

The firm has a set of certified suppliers who source the chillies through a supply chain. Bhut jolokia has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chilli's pungency (heat factor). A year back, Guinness World Records had rated Carolina Reaper as the world's hottest pepper, moving bhut jolokia to third place after Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.

Experts say the chilli has tremendous medicinal value and is commonly used as a counter irritant. ' Bhut jolokia, which contains capsaicin, an active component of chillies, can be a cure for stomach disorder as well,' said Janardan Bezbarua, an ayurvedic medicine expert.