Pepper X
| Pepper X | |
|---|---|
| Species | Capsicum chinense |
| Breeder | Ed Currie |
| Origin | Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States |
| Heat | Exceptionally hot |
| Scoville scale | On average: 2,693,000[1] SHU |
Pepper X is a cultivar of chili pepper recognized by Guinness World Records in 2023 as the world's hottest chili pepper.[1] It was bred by Ed Currie, the creator of the Carolina Reaper.[2][3][4]
Pepper X measures an average of 2.693 million Scoville heat units (SHU), beating the previous world record of 1.64 million SHU held by the Carolina Reaper.[1][2]
Pepper X is a crossbreed of a Carolina Reaper and a pepper sent to Currie by a friend.[2] The curves and ridges of a Pepper X chili create more surface area for its placenta, the tissue that contains capsaicin, to grow.[2]
Currie said that, when he ate a Pepper X chili, he "was feeling the heat for three and a half hours" and then experienced cramps that had him "laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain".[2]
Pepper X's heat status has been criticized, because independent testing of the pepper has not been performed.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Hottest chilli pepper". Guinness World Records Ltd. 23 August 2023. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Kim, Chloe (17 October 2023). "Guinness World Records crowns new hottest pepper". BBC News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Hultquist, Mike (23 February 2018). "Pepper X – Latest News and Information". Chili Pepper Madness. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ^ Saelinger, Tracy (29 September 2017). "'World's hottest pepper' will make you choke, sweat and cry for mercy". Today, NBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ Schoenherr, Daniel (December 14, 2023). "Pepper wars: Michigan grower disputes Pepper X's record for world's hottest pepper". Great Lakes Echo.