The Pepper That Dethroned Carolina Reaper As The Hottest In The World

If you've ever taken a bite of a hot pepper, you know that instant sensation: Tingly tongue, burning lips, and general discomfort. A little bit of spice is great, but most people with a regular spice tolerance prefer a balance that doesn't overwhelm the dish. If you're most people, then you probably want to avoid Pepper X — aka the world's hottest pepper.

Previously, the Carolina Reaper was the hottest pepper in the world. The Carolina Reaper was created by Ed Currie, a pepper grower from South Carolina. Currie owns the Puckerbutt Pepper Company, and he also happens to be the creator of Pepper X. The latter dethroned the Reaper after it clocked in at more than one million units higher on the Scoville scale — the unit of measurement for determining spice.

Even Guinness World Records announced that Pepper X had taken the top spot, though Currie has never actually said how the pepper is made — just that it's a blend of a Carolina Reaper and another unnamed pepper. If you want to get your hands on it, good luck: Its seeds are patented, so nobody else can grow it, and it's also not available for general purchase.

Peppers' heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units (HCUs), which is calculated based on how concentrated capsaicin is within the peppers (capsaicin is the element that gives a pepper its spice). Pepper X comes in at nearly 2.7 million Scoville units, compared to the previously-hottest Carolina Reaper, which landed at 1.64 million. The scale has been around since 1912. It was invented by pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville, and involves continually diluting the capsaicinoids within a pepper until a panel of trained taste testers can no longer taste any spice. The number of dilutions concludes how hot the pepper is.

For context, the peppers used in everyday cooking or that you find in your favorite hot sauce might seem hot, but they don't come anywhere near Pepper X. Fresh jalapeños with their seeds intact, for example, clock in between 2,500 and 8,000 units, while cayenne peppers fall between 30,000 and 50,000 units. Habaneros, which are notoriously spicy, can be up to 500,000 units. Pepper X is more than five times the hottest habanero.

There is at least one drawback to the Scoville scale, though: The peppers are diluted and tested by humans, which means the scale is subjective. Plus, cooking and other ingredients impact heat, so there is a chance a pepper's heat changes depending on how it's consumed.

The Carolina Reaper has been circulating for more than 10 years, but Currie's Pepper X has been in the works for even longer. Currie has claimed in interviews that he kept it locked away to ensure that if someone ever created a pepper hotter than the Reaper, he could top it. But since nobody did, he eventually just released it.

Currie revealed to the Associated Press just how much the pepper's heat impacted him. "I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours," he said. "Then the cramps came. Those cramps are horrible. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain." It's unlikely that consumers will be able to pick up Pepper X at their local grocery store any time soon, but maybe that's a good thing — unless you enjoy being doubled-over in pain.