Pepper X was named the world’s hottest pepper by Guinness World Records on Monday (Oct 16).
Ed Currie, a pepper expert, crossbred and developed the pepper that broke the Carolina Reaper record to become the hottest pepper in the world on his farm. It’s three times as hot as Carolina Reaper.
According to Winthrop University in South Carolina, US, Pepper X rated at an average of 2,693,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
Currie stated in a video uploaded on First We Feast that he invented Pepper X years ago but had it in his pocket in case any other Carolina Reaper growers launched something hotter than it. He brought Pepper X when no one else did.
“This is the culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people. People said it couldn’t be done, they called us liars, and we proved to them that Pepper X is actually the hottest pepper in the world, officially from Guinness.”
How did Pepper X come to be?
Currie began producing spicy peppers as a pastime and subsequently transitioned to full-time cultivation. According to his website Puckerbutt Pepper Company, the expert planted 800 hot pepper plants “in every inch of his home and the homes of family, friends, and neighbors.”
Currie told First We Feast, “When we bred this pepper out, the first thing we looked for is something to raise that heat level to what we thought was going to be the maximum, and the second thing is flavor.”
However, he stated that hiding it was a part of the development process, and individuals have been attempting to steal it for years.
According to a press statement, Pepper X pods and seeds will not be distributed because it is a proprietary pepper. Pepper X hot sauces will be the only way to get a taste of it.
Currie is currently developing his next prospective spicy pepper.