Many are claimed but only one is recognized. Capsicum chinense ‘Carolina Reaper’, scored 1,559,300 on the Scoville heat-measuring scale and has been ranked by Guinness World Records as the hottest pepper in the world since 7 August 2013. It was bred in Rock Hill, South Carolina by Ed “Smokin’” Currie who runs the Puckerbutt Pepper Company in Fort Mill.
As far away as Auckland, New Zealand, Yash Amin has them growing in his backyard of his home. Also hidden among the herbs and produce in Amin’s garden are previous hot chilli record holders, in that suburb known perhaps not inappropriately as Mt. Eden.
This includes the now-notorious Bhut Jolokia from Assam, India, which achieved that lofty status in 2007, rated at a cool 1,041,427 Scoville heat units (SHU). Also known as the Bih Jolokia in Assamese since Bih is poison, and Jolokia is chili pepper. .
Competition amongst pepper hybridizers to produce the world’s hottest chili is heated. Some claim the Trinidad Scorpion Pepper (
Capsicum chinensis ‘Trinidad Scorpion’) will challenge ‘Carolina Reaper’ for that honour. Breeder Craig Dremann is quoted in
Richters 2016 Herb & Vegetable Catalogue, “Once the heat level of this strain is stabilized, it will be the permanent Guinness Record holder for many decades.’ He adds, fresh or dried, it is so hot that it is “extremely dangerous,” suggesting chemically resistant gloves and a face mask when handling. Undeterred, Richters catalogue offers seeds at a modest $5.25 a packet with the following warning:
Note:
This is a very hot pepper. The purchase of these seeds mean you are aware of the risks handling and ingesting this pepper and its seeds, and you take all responsibility for any injuries or medical emergencies that may arise.
Some seasons ago this horticultural hack, blessed with a contract for a couple of years in tropical climes, was able to dispatch back to the land of milk and maple syrup packages of hot pepper seed for commercial and private research. One recipient unwisely decided to sniff the contents. Suffice to say it was an unwise move.
