The Carolina Reaper has officially been dethroned as the world’s hottest chili.
PuckerButt Pepper Co. Founder and pepper expert Ed Currie has spent the past 10 years working on a chili product called Pepper X, which releases “instant and brutal heat.” Associated Press.
Five of those years proved that Pepper X was a different plant with different fruits and documented its average heat across different plants and generations.
“We covered genetics, we covered chemistry, we covered botany,” shared Currie.
With a rating of 2,693,000 Scoville heat units, Pepper X has been named the hottest chili pepper in the world. Guinness World Records On October 9.
The peppery heat lingered with the curry bell after he finished his initial taste test.
“I felt the heat for 3½ hours. Then the convulsions came. The spasms were terrible. I lay on the marble wall in the rain for about an hour, moaning in pain,” Currie shared with the Associated Press.
Greenish-yellow Pepper X has an earthy aroma unlike the spicy-sweet flavor found in the bright red Carolina Reaper. Pepper X is the Carolina Reaper and “the beast is hot” from Michigan, Currie said.
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Pepper X first appeared in ‘Hot Ones’
Currie chose to publish Paper X “hot” A YouTube talk show where celebrities are interviewed on an assortment of spicy chicken wings.
He was joined by the show’s host Sean Evans, Klaus Bilgaard “Silly Klaus” and Noah Seimberg. HeatonistThe Hot Sauce Company partners with Hot Ones to source their hot sauce line.
Currie talks all things Pepper X, gets his Guinness World Record holder, and facilitates a Pepper X taste test to end the video.
“There’s a serious burn right away. Then your head goes, ‘Oh, no. What’s going on?’ That’s when your body kicks in. You get it in your hands. You get it in your chest. It’s not a real throat burn like Reaper, but it comes later when you’re in pain,” Currie says in the video.
How does Pepper X measure up on the Scoville scale?
The Scoville scale numerically measures the causticity of chili peppers based on their concentration of capsaicin, which causes a burning sensation when in contact with human tissue. According to Guinness.
The burning sensation produced by capsaicin causes the body to release endorphins and dopamine, AP reported.
Currie, who overcame a drug addiction and started growing peppers, says the kick from peppers is like a natural high.
He shared his findings with medical professionals in hopes of helping those suffering from chronic pain or discomfort.
Currie hinted at the possibility of hotter pepper hybrids than Pepper X, but kept his cards close to the vest.
“Is this the pinnacle?” Currie said of Pepper X, a mischievous smile warming his face. “No, it’s not the peak,” AP reported.
Winthrop University in South Carolina has conducted tests on samples to determine Pepper X’s Scoville score over the past four years.
Here’s how Pepper X compares to other chilies in Scoville heat units:
◾ Jalapenos (3,000-8,000)
◾ Habanero (100,000-350,000)
◾ Carolina Reaper (1.64 million average)
◾ Pepper X (2.693 million)
Contrary to popular belief, the seeds of pepper pods do not make it hot. Capsaicin is stored in the placenta or tissue that holds the seeds.
Peppers aren’t the only ones with a Scoville score, with pepper spray having 1.6 million Scoville heat units, while bear spray has 2.2 million Scoville heat units, respectively, according to the AP.
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Contributed by: Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press