Top 6 Spiciest Chili Peppers In The World

There are some individuals out there who love to munch down these raw chilies as part of their snacks. Normal people like most of us can actually feel our taste buds tingling with heat just by looking at these people bite down chilies after chili.  

At one time, habanero peppers once held the crown as the spiciest chili in the world. But as of now, there are many new hybrids of chilies that far surpass habanero in terms of Scoville Heat Units(SHU).

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1. Pepper X (2,690,000 SHU)

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Pepper X is a highly potent and extremely spicy chili pepper cultivar that gained international fame for its record-breaking heat levels. Developed by Ed Currie, the founder of the PuckerButt Pepper Company. 

Pepper X was officially unveiled in 2017, although its development began several years earlier. Ed Currie used selective breeding techniques to create a pepper with intense heat and a unique flavor profile.

On 23 August 2023, Pepper X was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the hottest pepper in the world with a measurement of 2.69 million Scoville Heat Units(SHU).

2. The Carolina Reaper (2,200,000 SHU)

Ever since 2013, The Guinness World Record has recognized the Carolina Reaper or its original name, HP22BNH7 as the spiciest chili pepper in the world. This pepper species is a hybrid made by a farmer, Ed Currie that owned the PuckerButt Pepper company in North Carolina.

The pepper is a hybrid of two previous record holders of the world's spiciest chili, ghost pepper, and Red Savina habanero. With a spice level of 400 times exceeding jalapeño, Carolina Reaper is still the king of spice to this day.

A Tesco supermarket in the United Kingdom was condemned for selling this paper since it was believed to cause harmful effects to the consumer. This pepper is so hot that it cannot be touched without gloves as it can cause irritation.

Eating this raw pepper will definitely pay you a visit to the toilet.

2. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (2,000,000 SHU)

Reading its name has instilled fear among us as the scorpion element is present in its name that can potentially sting our tongue as we eat the chili. In 2012, the University of New Mexico acknowledged Trinidad Moruga Scorpion as the spiciest chili pepper in the world but it was never listed officially by the Guinness World Record.

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3. Trinidad 7 Pot Douglah (1,853,936 SHU)

This pepper as its name come from Trinidad. It was given the name 7 Pot Douglah because only 1 of this chili is enough to spice up 7 pots of stew.

Douglah is considered a rare type of pepper due to its sweet and wrinkly black skin.

4. 7 Pot Primo (1,473,480 SHU)

This pepper was created by a horticulturist from Louisiana named Troy Primeaux or more known as Primo. Primo starts to hybridize the seeds from the Naga Morich pepper and Trinidad 7 Pot Douglah in 2005 and had planted this pepper for 8 generations.

The physical structure of this pepper is rather lumpy and uneven with a pointy tail at the bottom. It can also be obtained in various different colors such as orange and yellow.

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5. British Komodo Dragon (1,400,000 SHU)

This pepper was made by the biggest chili producer in the United Kingdom, Salvatore Genovese. It is a new variation of the 7 Pot, Naga, and Jolokia pepper. When you eat this chili, you will not notice its spiciness at first.

You will start to feel the heat sensation building up as time goes by and it will definitely be an unbearable experience. Two volunteers had made the attempt to try and feel this pepper. The heat was still apparent despite drinking 2.3 liters of milk and 1 liter of water.

Source:

• Guinness World Records

• Straits Times

Also read: Top 7 Most Popular Fruits In The World