Pepper X is Currently the World's Hottest Pepper
The Claim
The ghost chili pepper is the hottest pepper in the world.
News posted on
Emerging story
People have discussed what the hottest pepper in the world is for years. With the discovery of new species and variants specifically bred for heat, this spicy situation is ever-evolving.
Misbar’s Analysis
Heat level is quantified by the Scoville Scale, which measures the concentration of capsaicin in a food product. For example, pepper spray used by the U.S. military clocks in at about 2 million on the Scoville scale; the habanero is at 350K units, and the jalapeño is at 8K units.
The recently-developed Pepper X allegedly reaches an inferno-level 3.18 million on the Scoville scale. While this has not yet been verified by Guinness, the creator of Pepper X is a pepper expert, and therefore likely has the unit number correct.
In 2017, Dragon’s Breath was tested at nearly 2.5 million units. Earlier that year, Guinness World Records deemed the Carolina Reaper the hottest chili pepper in the world, with a blazing 1.6 million units on the Scoville scale.
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion and Spanish-Gibralta Naga rank between 1 million to 1.2 million units.
The Ghost Chili pepper, which was recognized as the hottest pepper by Guinness in 2007, only reaches 1 million units. Although it was once the hottest pepper in the world, it no longer holds the claim to flaming fame.
