Carolina reaper the hottest pepper in the world

Q: What is the actual hottest pepper in the world?

Ranked as the Guinness World Records hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper peaked at about 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units, the scale used to rank how spicy peppers are. It averages around 1.6 million SHU. For comparison, jalapeño registers about 2,500 to 8,000 SHU and cayenne pepper is 30,000 to 50,000 SHU.

Don't get any ideas

To the die-hard chile fanatics casually chomping down on habaneros and drizzling Carolina Reaper sauce on your tacos, you have a new fiery monarch to bow down to. Except this time, we really wouldn't recommend you try to eat it.

Table of Contents Show

Don't get any ideas
Is there a pepper hotter than the Carolina Reaper?
What is the actual hottest pepper in the world?
What's the hottest pepper 2022?
What is the 7 hottest pepper in the world?

According to the Daily Post, the Dragon's Breath chile, now the world's spiciest pepper, clocks in at a hellish 2.48 million on the Scoville scale, dwarfing its nearest competitor, the Carolina Reaper, which comes in at 2.2 million. (For reference, military-grade pepper spray comes in at a casual 2 million.) The devilish pepper, cultivated by grower Mike Smith in conjunction with Nottingham University, is 22 times as hot as the now-innocent-seeming habanero, and nearly 300 times spicier than the everyday jalapeño.

The Dragon's Breath actually hasn't been consumed by a human yet, out of fear that the lethal amount of capsaicin could singe one's airways, causing them to close up and cause anaphylactic shock. So, yes, ingesting one of these tiny rosebuds can actually kill you, though the pepper wasn't created to be consumed in the first place (no matter how many dumb ideas are swirling in your head right now). According to Smith, the Dragon's Breath was developed to treat people who are allergic to anesthetics, as the pepper is literally so hot it can be used to numb the skin.

Is there a pepper hotter than the Carolina Reaper?

The Komodo Dragon Pepper came on the scene in 2015 poised to dethrone the Carolina Reaper as the hottest pepper in the world. A crow between a 7 Pot and a Ghost Pepper, the Komodo Dragon rivals the Reaper in terms of SHUs, but has a delicious fruity flavor that singes every one of your taste buds.

What is the actual hottest pepper in the world?

Ranked as the Guinness World Record's hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper peaked at about 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units, the scale used to rank how spicy peppers are. It averages around 1.6 million SHU. For comparison, jalapeño registers about 2,500 to 8,000 SHU and cayenne pepper is 30,000 to 50,000 SHU.

What's the hottest pepper 2022?

Yep, the Hottest Pepper in 2022 is still the Carolina Reaper! The wickedly hot Carolina Reaper is still holding the Guinness World Record crown again in 2022 for being the world's hottest pepper.

What is the 7 hottest pepper in the world?

7. Naga Viper. The Naga Viper is a species of hot chili pepper that was first developed in England. Considered one of the world's hottest peppers, the Naga Viper once held the 2011 world record for heat due to its extremely spicy taste.