Pepper X: Guinness World Records crowns new hottest chilli pepper

Pepper X has dethroned Carolina Reaper for Guinness World Records for 'world's hottest pepper'

Carolina Reaper chilli pepper has been dethroned after 10 years! Guinness World Records crowned Pepper X, a chilli from South Carolina as the “world's hottest pepper.” Pepper X registers at 2.69 million Scoville Heat Units, even defeating Pepper Spray, which registers at 1.6 million SHU. The world's new spiciest chilli was curated by Ed Currie, who said, “I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours,” after he consumed it.

A Carolina Reaper variety of pepper is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Fort Mill, S.C. The Carolina Reaper was the Guinness Book of World Record hottest pepper before being overtaken by Pepper X. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) (AP)

According to the Guinness World Records, the unique curves and ridges of Pepper X, provide more surface area for the placenta to grow. The greenish-yellow pepper first debuted on the web series Hot Ones, in which celebrities are challenged to eat 10 hot wings with progressively hotter sauces. Currie, who is one of the only five people to try this ball of fire documented his experience, saying, “Those cramps are horrible, I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain,” as per New York Post.

Pepper X's creator has spent over a decade cultivating it and wishes to protect his intellectual property. He said, “We covered the genetics, we covered the chemistry, we covered the botany.” Currie also explained how his family and his workers need to benefit from it before any seeds are released for sale. For now, only hot sauces made from Pepper X will be available.

This brutal chilli was the aftermath of crossbreeding Carolina Reaper and a secret hot chilli provided to Currie by his friend in Michigan. Despite working on Pepper X for 10 years, Currie said that it's “not the pinnacle” as he yearns to engineer even hotter chilli peppers in future.