The Carolina Reaper Chilies
One cultivar of the Capsicum Chinese plant is the Carolina Reaper chilies pepper. The pepper, created by American breeder Ed Currie, has a tiny, pointed tail, a rough texture, and is red and gnarled. According to Guinness World Records, it was the hottest chili pepper from 2013 to 2023 before another Currie creation overtook Pepper X.
The taste of the Carolina Reaper has been characterized as fruity, with a sweet initial bite that quickly transforms into “molten lava.” When consuming a Carolina Reaper, one’s perception of heat or pungency is derived from the density of capacious, specifically capsaicin, which is directly correlated with the degree of heat from chili peppers and Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
English ethnobotanist James Wong has called the pepper “a good all-rounder to try at home” for cultivation, noting that they need temperatures of at least 18 °C and should be grown in 30–40 cm pots to limit growth and yield fruit sooner. Two peppers fill the palm when they are fully ripe.
Guinness World Records officially recognized the Carolina Reaper as the spiciest chili pepper in the world on August 11, 2017. During the certification procedure, Winthrop University in South Carolina conducted testing, and the results indicated an average heat level of 1,641,183 SHU for a particular batch. The Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” formerly held the record for the hottest pepper, measuring 1,463,700 SHU. Later, the Associated Press and other media agencies reported that one Carolina Reaper had a heat level of 2.2 million SHU. Guinness World Records, however, never validated this higher-end figure. With a measurement of 2.69 million SHU, Currie later bred a hotter pepper known as Pepper X, which claimed the title of “World’s hottest pepper” on August 23, 2023.
Top 5 Hottest Chilies Around the World
- Carolina Reaper: The Reaper was tested again in 2018 with an even greater SHU (Scoville Heat Unit), after being named the hottest place in the world in 2013. Thanks to this, the Reaper now holds the title of the World’s Hottest again! With an average SHU of 1,641,000 SHU and a peak SHU of 2.2 million, it was bred for heat and delivers!
- Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend: This is a very uncommon and highly sought-after pepper only recently discovered. Don’t allow the fact that this pepper doesn’t have the Reaper’s stinger to mislead you. Just as attractive as The Carolina Reaper is The Moruga Scorpion.
- Douglah: One of the tastiest and hottest peppers in the pepper community. The hottest pepper that isn’t red is called a 7 Pot Douglah. Usually, the most desirable “superhot” peppers are red, but the Douglah breaks the mold by being brown and hot.
- The 7 Pot Primo: Troy Primeaux, a grower, invented this pepper. Some pepper growers have bred their peppers with lengthy stingers in an attempt to mimic the Primo appearance.
Pepper X
According to Guinness World Records, Pepper X, a tiny, wrinkled yellow-green pepper, is currently the hottest chili pepper in the world.
Ed Currie, the South Carolina-based Pucker Butt Pepper Company’s founder, made an appearance on the Hot Ones YouTube series to accept the Guinness prize and introduce the world to the hot new type.
