Pepper X, a name that most chili enthusiasts have heard of long ago, has always been surrounded by whispers of being potentially the hottest pepper in the world. For years, there has been talk of a pepper that is supposedly even hotter than the well-known Carolina Reaper variety, making many wonder: what is the hottest pepper in the world? However, it wasn’t until 2023 that we had official confirmation.
On October 16, 2023, Pepper X was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the hottest pepper in the world with an astonishing average heat level of 2,693,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units), marking it as the pinnacle of the the spiciest pepper on earth.
This makes Pepper X not just a contender but the holder of the title for the hottest chilli in the world, with its pepper X Scoville rating overshadowing all others. The Carolina Reaper, which held the record for the past 10 years and was once considered the hottest chilli in the world, now falls into second place with “only” 1,641,183 SHU.
This record-breaking announcement has chili lovers and capsaicin enthusiasts buzzing, eager to learn more about Pepper X and its fiery supremacy in the world of the hottest peppers.
Pepper X, cultivated by Ed Currie, the owner of the American company PuckerButt Pepper, is now recognized as the hottest pepper in the world. If you’re entrenched in the chili pepper world, you’re likely familiar with Ed Currie’s name because he also bred the previous record holder – the Carolina Reaper, once known as the hottest chilli in the world.
It’s been a full 10 years since the Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest peppers in the world, claimed the top spot, so it almost seems planned that a new pepper, Pepper X, would surpass it this year. Ed stated that he began working on cultivating and stabilizing Pepper X 10 years ago, aiming to create the spiciest pepper on earth without risking his uninterrupted reign on the throne of hottest peppers in the world.
The name Pepper X for this pepper came about quite accidentally – it was supposed to be only a temporary name until the variety was stabilized and became official.
However, the name stuck, aptly fitting for what is now the hottest pepper in the world.
Considering that the Carolina Reaper is already so hot that few can consume it, and Pepper X, with its staggering Pepper X Scoville rating, is 60% hotter, we really wouldn’t recommend anyone to eat it in its fresh form.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t sell it once we manage to obtain the seeds and grow the hottest chilli in the world. Currently, the official breeder does not sell seeds, but we hope that will change in the future. Then it will be up to you to decide how good of an idea it is to play with multi-million Scoville units of the spiciest pepper on earth.
