Rehoboth ice cream store in Ripley's Believe It or Not

The Ice Cream Store in Rehoboth Beach always scares up a lot of customers seeking tasty flavors.

But, in recent summers, its offbeat Ghost Pepper ice cream, made with chilies so frighteningly hot that adults must sign waivers before eating the frozen treat, has made the stand, well, a standout.

And the Delaware dessert is considered so offbeat, it has just earned a mention in the new book, "Ripley's Believe It or Not! Unlock the Weird!"

The book, released this month and available at most major booksellers, is a collection of "fantastic, fun and even freaky" stories from around the world, according to Ripley's Publishing. All the stories included in the book were handpicked by staffers at Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which considers itself "the authority on all things unusual and incredible!"

Ice Cream Store owner Chip Hearn on Tuesday says he was surprised to hear about his Rehoboth Avenue shop's inclusion in the book. Hearn says he doesn't recall being contacted by Ripley's Believe It Or Not! or the book's publisher.

"I didn't know. I love it!" he says.

Last summer, The News Journal sampled and wrote about Rehoboth's Ghost Pepper ice cream, which was first introduced in 2012 as Scorpion Sting Ice Cream. Ghost Pepper ice cream is vanilla blended with some of the world's hottest chilies along with fiery capsicum extracts and sauces. It's also ribboned with strawberry sauce.

Ghost Pepper Ice Cream: Waiver required

The heat level of the Ghost Pepper chili, also known Bhut Jolokia or Naga Jolokia, is no joke. The searing burn of the ice cream continues to haunt the mouth and tongue long after its been swallowed.

Ghost Pepper chilies are rated at more than 1 million Scoville heat units. In comparison, Sriracha sauce comes in at between 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville heat units, while Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville heat units.

We told News Journal readers  ghost peppers are so intense, Indian villagers smear the chilies onto fence posts to keep elephants away.

The tale of the Delaware ice cream apparently caught the attention of Ripley's Believe It or Not! and it included the description in the new book.

Adults who want to try the Ghost Pepper ice cream can still do so at the Ice Cream Store, but they must first sign a waiver.

Hearn says the waiver is a legal document, but "written in a smart-ass way." The ice cream is not available to anyone younger than 18, and tastes are not given to anyone who appears intoxicated or impaired. It's also not recommended to pregnant women or those trying to get pregnant, lactating mothers, anyone with existing health problems, and "men with erectile dysfunction."

"The main reason for the waiver is we want to make sure the customer knows this is not Tabasco sauce," Hearn says.

The challenge of tasting the blazing hot ice cream has kept a steady flow of customers coming to the ice cream stand.

"People have read about it and now they want to taste it," says shop owner Hearn, adding business this summer "was fantastic." He says his employees have been handing out between 30 to 40 free tastes of Ghost Pepper ice cream each day.

The Ice Cream Store, just steps away from the Rehoboth Boardwalk, is open daily throughout September, and weekends throughout October and until mid-November. Visit www.rehobothbeachicecream.com/

"Ripley's Believe It or Not! Unlock the Weird!" includes weird-yet-true stories about animals, people, events, pop culture, art and food.

Some stories seem stranger than others. The book includes a tale about a man who had his ears removed and face and eyeballs tattooed so he can resemble his pet parrots. Another section lists a grotesque sheep dung spitting contest in Northern Ireland where participants win by spitting sheep poop farther than other contestants. Really.

Ghost Pepper ice cream doesn't sound so scary after all, now does it?

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico