Hottest Pepper 2022 (2024)

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Hottest Pepper 2022? ›

The Carolina Reaper is once again officially the Worlds Hottest Pepper.

The Carolina Reaper is once again officially the Worlds Hottest Pepper.

Pepper X was publicly named the hottest pepper in the world on Oct. 9 by the Guinness Book of World Records, beating out the Reaper in Currie's decadelong hunt to perfect a pepper that he says provides “immediate, brutal heat.” Currie said when he first tried Pepper X, it did more than warm his heart.

The Guinness World Records has crowned Pepper X as the hottest chili pepper in the world, dethroning the Carolina Reaper chili pepper after 10 years. For comparison, a habanero pepper typically hits 100,000 Scoville heat units, but Pepper X registers at 2.69 million units.

The Dragon's Breath chili was unofficially tested at 2.48 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it a contender for the hottest chili pepper in the world.

An almost frightening 1.4 million to 2.2 million SHU making it the world's hottest pepper on the Scoville scale. That's nearly double the ghost pepper. Yikes! The Carolina Reaper is currently the world's hottest chili pepper.

Dragon's Breath, like Pepper X, still has yet to be confirmed by the Guinness World Records as one of the world's hottest chili peppers, though it has been measured as hotter than the Carolina Reaper many times.

Its mode of production and collect make the Bird Pepper the rarest pepper in the world. The birds approach the pepper plantations during the harvest period, as the pepper grains mature and turn from green to red.

Why? The Reaper has a much higher concentration of capsaicin, the chemical compound that registers as thermal heat in the brain. Capsaicin doesn't literally burn you (i.e., it doesn't create a thermal temperature change in the body). But it does create a burning sensation.

What is the hottest Mexican pepper? ›

Habanero, the hottest Mexican chili pepper

All the Habanero chili peppers varieties are mainly grown in the Yucatán Peninsula. The most common ones are orange red, but it is possible to find also brown, pink and white types. Usually a ripe Habanero is 2-6 cm long.

Heat level: Both peppers are scorching, but the Carolina Reaper has a slightly higher Scoville rating (the unit of measurement for spiciness) of up to 2.2 million. At the same time, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion ranges from 1.2 million to 2 million.

In talking with many pepper enthusiasts, we've found the Habanero to be universally considered to be one of the best tasting peppers. It's flesh holds up to and absorbs smoking well. The smoked hab is a key (secret) ingredient in our Chili cook-off entries.

Death Valley holds the record for the highest air temperature on the planet: On 10 July 1913, temperatures at the aptly named Furnace Creek area in the California desert reached a blistering 56.7°C (134.1°F). Average summer temperatures, meanwhile, often rise above 45°C (113°F).

Pepper X has replaced the Carolina Reaper as the hottest chili pepper on Earth, Guinness World Records announced. The big picture: South Carolina breeder and grower Ed Currie smashed his own record that stood for 10 years to achieve the feat.

The Carolina Reaper was rated an average of 1,640,000 SHU on the Scoville Scale, making it an extremely hot pepper. With its hottest specimens coming in at over 2.2 million Scoville Units at its peak if you're looking for some serious heat this will certainly do the trick.