Peppers, ah. You either adore them or you detest them (we all know one or two “chili heads”).
Have you ever truly pondered exactly how spicy certain peppers are? We use peppers to add a little zip in salsa, on pizza, jams and jellies, in our fish chowder, and loads of other ways. What are the world’s spiciest peppers, then?
Some developed naturally, while others were created by genetic engineering in a lab. They will light your tongue on fire either way. What are they, though? How are they evaluated as well?
The hottest pepper in the world is continually altering—almost morphing.
Check back frequently to view more record-breaking peppers because it appears like there is one made or found every year!
Measuring the World’s Hottest Peppers
Unbelievably, the degree of spiciness may be measured using a specific unit. Yes, the Scoville Scale is the topic at hand.
It gauges the pungency of chili peppers and other spicy meals. The test and scale were created in 1912 by American pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville when he was employed for Parke-Davis. The SHU is the accepted unit of measurement.
SHU = Scoville Heat Unit (A measure of Spiciness)
By analyzing the amount of capsaicinoids in a pepper, the SHU rating may be used to determine how hot it is. The molecule in peppers that gives out the spiciness is called capsaicin.
Top 10 Hottest Peppers in the World
Here is our list of the Top 10 Hottest Peppers without further ado.
10. Red Savina Habanero – 500,000 SHU
The Red Savina Habanero used to be the king of super hots.
From 1994 to 2006, it held the title of “Hottest Pepper in the World.” 12 Years!
Even though several peppers have subsequently supplanted the Red Savina in terms of intensity, it is still one of the most widely grown peppers because it possesses the ideal ratio of heat to flavor.
Despite narrowly making the Top 10, the Red Savina does so stylishly thanks to its excellent flavor and intense fire.
9. 7 Pot Red (Giant) – 1,000,000 SHU
The 7 Pots were given their name because they can cook up 7 pots of stew, and it does just that!
Numerous variants have been produced by mating this breed with other peppers. Seven Pot Jonah, Seven Pot Yellow, Seven Pot Katie, Seven Pot Barrackpore, and many others are some variants.
8. 7 Pot Barrackpore – 1,000,000 SHU
One of the hottest peppers in the 7 Pot family is the 7 Pot Barrackpore.
This one hails from Trinidad and Tobago’s Town of Chaguanas.
These “super hots” are largely from this area.
7. Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) – 1,041,427 SHU
Due to the amount of coverage it has already gotten, the Ghost Pepper is the most well-known “Super Hot.”
When pepperheads challenged one another by eating full Ghost Peppers, it quickly gained popularity on YouTube and other social media platforms.
This is the first pepper to pass a scientific test with a scoville count of over a million.
Many mistakenly believe the Ghost Pepper is still the World’s Hottest pepper, this list shows it is far from it.
It’s not 2007. Share this link with any friends you have who still believe the Ghost Pepper to be the hottest pepper.
It can still send a mature man to his knees, so don’t let its low ranking fool you.
6. Naga Viper – 1,349,000 SHU
An exceedingly unusual pepper grown in the UK is called Naga Viper. This kind of “Super HOT” pepper was produced by the cross-pollination of several pepper varieties over many years.
Pod fluctuation is anticipated because it was never completely stabilized before being distributed.
5. Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” – 1,463,700 SHU
The Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” is an Australian who previously held the Guinness World Record in 2011.
It is undoubtedly quite spicy, but some peppers have actually been found to be hotter.
Its originator, Butch Taylor, and the scorpion stinger that may be seen at the pepper’s tip gave it a suitable moniker.
This pepper has a unique burn that is unlike any other.
The Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” pepper burns like you swallowed a 1,000 suns.
4. 7 Pot Primo – 1,469,000 SHU
The long, narrow “tail” of the 7 Pot Primo gives it a striking look.
Troy Primeaux, a gardener, developed this pepper.
A few pepper growers have bred their own peppers to have a lengthy stinger in an effort to mimic the Primo appearance.
You can tell this pepper will be INCREDIBLY spicy simply by looking at it. Unexpectedly, it resembles The Carolina Reaper remarkably.
3. 7 Pot Douglah – 1,853,936 SHU
Renowned among the hottest peppers and having the greatest flavor in the pepper community.
The hottest pepper you can buy that isn’t red is called a “7 Pot Douglah.”
The Douglah defies the odds by being both brown AND scorching hot, despite the fact that the hottest “superhot” peppers are often red.
With fresh, dried, or powdered Douglah on any dish, you can’t go wrong.
Also known as the 7 Pot Brown, Chocolate 7 Pod, and 7 Pod Douglah.
2. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion – 2,009,231 SHU
The Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend, often known as Moruga Scorpion, is an unique and highly sought-after pepper that was just recently found. It comes straight out of hell.
native to Trinidad and Tobago’s Moruga region. When you bite into this potent pepper, the heat never stops intensifying.
Don’t be deceived by the fact that this pepper doesn’t have a stinger like the Grim Reaper. The Carolina Reaper and the Moruga Scorpion are both equally sultry.
1. Carolina Reaper – 2,200,000 SHU
You don’t have to travel very far if you’re in New York to get to the place where the spiciest pepper in the world is grown. The Carolina Reaper comes in at number one with a staggering 2.2 million SHU.
Carolina Reaper, the former world champion, has been defeated! The Carolina Reaper is once again recognized as the hottest pepper in the world.
The Reaper, which was rated as the hottest in the world in 2013, was tested once more in 2018 with an even greater SHU (71,000 SHU higher to be exact). The reaper now has the title of World’s Hottest!
With an average SHU of 1,641,000 SHU and a high of 2.2 Million SHU, it was bred to be hot.
Putting the scoville rating into context will help you:
The Carolina Reaper pepper is 200x hotter than a Jalapeno
It is obvious from the photographs above that this is one potent pepper. Every pod of the Carolina Reaper is unusual and has a distinctive stinger tail that is unlike any other pepper’s!
Being a hybrid of a Red Habanero and a Ghost Pepper gives it its extreme heat. Surprisingly, this pepper not only has heat but also a fantastic fruity flavor. That is, of course, before it vaporizes your face.
World’s Hottest Peppers Honorable Mentions
Let’s speak about some promising new hybrid peppers. Once the legitimacy of these two spicy peppers has been established, they will be included on the list.
Dragon’s Breath Pepper – 2,483,584 SHU
The discovery of the Dragon’s Breath plant was rather fortunate.
Because of its essential oil’s potential as a skin anesthetic, it was created in a partnership between chili grower Neal Price, NPK Technology, and Nottingham Trent University.
Breeder Mike Smith of St. Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales subsequently began cultivating it. He said that his goal was to develop a beautiful pepper plant rather than nurture the chili for record heat.
Recent accounts say that a Dragon’s Breath pepper is hotter than the Carolina Reaper.
Initial trials with the Dragon’s Breath According to Pepper, it has 2,483,584 SHU, which is significantly more than the Carolina Reaper.
The “news” websites may have reported on it as a PR ploy, even going so far as to say Dragon’s Breath may kill you. Technically, you may also die from a pencil.
Pepper X – 3,180,000 SHU
Ed Currie, the same person who developed the Carolina Reaper, is the breeder of the Capsicum chili pepper cultivar known as Pepper X. It was created over the course of ten years of cultivation through a number of crossbreedings.
As of 2021, Guinness World Records has not authenticated Currie’s claim that it is “TWICE as hot as the Carolina Reaper,” which would make it the hottest pepper in the world with a Scoville scale of 3.18 million units and the sole reason it didn’t top our list.
How Much SHU Can You Handle?
Are you equipped to withstand 2,000,000 SHU of heat? That’s just too hot to handle!
You need to exercise some caution while handling peppers, whether they are mildly spicy or as intense as the Carolina Reaper.
Capsaicin oils are found in hot chilies like the Carolina Reaper, Habanero, and jalapeño, which may burn your skin, eyes, lungs, and other mucous membranes.
The capsaicin in peppers can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort, and scorching diarrhea when consumed in high quantities. Our recommendation is to keep as far away from them as you can.
- When working with fresh chiles, wear rubber gloves or disposable plastic gloves.
- Work in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective goggles.
- When handling peppers measuring high on the Scoville scale, wear proper hazardous material suits (Yup, you need to wear a HAZMAT Suit!) and wear a respirator in addition to gloves and goggles.
- Remember: Oils from chiles can transfer to knives and cutting surfaces, so wash tools and surfaces with hot, soapy water after use to prevent the oils from transferring to other foods.
FIRST AID:
- Remove yourself quickly from the source of exposure.
- Remove contaminated clothing and seal in airtight bags to prevent further exposure.
- Wash the skin using soap, shampoo or other detergents.
- If you get some of the oils in your eyes, flush them with cool water.
- Surfaces can be cleaned with detergents or alcohol.
- Burning symptoms can be relieved by cooling – i.e. from ice, cold water, fans, or wind. Aloe gel can be very helpful and soothing. For serious injury seek medical help.