What is the Hottest Chili Pepper in the World?

In recent years there has been a trend for hotter and hotter peppers. The author of many of these extreme peppers is Ed ¨Smokin´¨Currie, a chilli cultivator in South Carolina, USA. 

He is responsible for peppers such as the Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion and Pepper X. 

The Carolina Reaper

The Carolina Reaper – Too Hot to Handle

Up until 2023 the Caroline Reaper was generally considered to be the hottest chilli pepper in the world with a Scoville rating of around 1.6 million. That’s about 200 times hotter than a jalapeño. 

This chilli is a cross between a Pakistan Naga and a Red Habanero, and apparently has notes of chocolate and cinnamon. To me it just tasted like sucking a volcano’s titties. 

Pepper X

Pepper X – The New King of Heat

Incredibly this insanity wasn’t enough for Mr Currie, so he searched for something a little punchier and came up with Pepper X which registers a lung-busting 2.7 million on the Scoville scale. 

It took him 10 years and about 100 attempts, but by mixing hybrids of hybrids he created a pepper hot enough to knock not only your socks off but the lining of your lungs, your testicles and your desire to continue living.

These ultra-hot chillies are so intense that it is recommended to handle it with gloves and consume it with extreme caution. Even a small amount can cause a burning sensation that lasts several minutes, accompanied by sweating, tears, and in some cases, abdominal pain. 

And you do all this willingly. In fact you even pay for it. Us humans are strange creatures aren’t we?

If you like it really spicy, try TheSauceMan’s Ghost Mango hot sauce, or the equally pungent Passion Fruit and Rocoto.