Photo: courtesy of First We Feast
How spicy is too spicy? If you’re familiar with the YouTube talk show Hot Ones, you know there’s always a hotter sauce out there, ready to burn the taste buds of their celebrity guests. So what better platform to put the world’s hottest pepper to test? Pepper X, grown by Puckerbutt Pepper Co., was awarded the title of the world’s hottest pepper by Guinness World Records—right before its harvesters and the show’s stars got to taste it.
Pepper X boasts an average of 2.693 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), a measure of pungency for peppers and chiles. By comparison, Sriracha is just 2,200 SHU, while Tabasco is 4,000 SHU. As such, Pepper X is much closer—and even surpasses—law enforcement-grade pepper spray, which can reach up to 2 million SHU.
Ed Currie, founder of Puckerbutt Pepper Co., paid a visit to Hot Ones, where he was handed a plaque stating Pepper X’s record. A veteran of the pepper world, Currie shares that he had been developing Pepper X for 10 years, and right now felt like the right moment to share it. The previous record holder, the Carolina Reaper, was also developed by his company.
Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones, was joined by famed pepper eater Chili Klaus for their Pepper X tasting. After toasting with the peppers, examining, and devouring them, they quickly turned red and teary-eyed. “The flavor of Pepper X only lasts for a millisecond, and then the heat is just overwhelming,” Currie explains.
While getting to taste the pepper itself is not possible at the time given Pepper X’s trademark status, there are alternatives for those up for a challenge. Puckerbutt Pepper Co. is now offering a variety of sauces featuring this thrilling ingredient. As if it weren’t daring enough, this may not be the end of the line for Currie. He announced that there are two more pepper varieties that he has begun the testing process for, and they may be even hotter than Pepper X.
Pepper X, grown by Puckerbutt Pepper Co., was awarded the title of the “world’s hottest pepper” by Guinness World Records.
Photo: courtesy of First We Feast
Ed Currie, founder of Puckerbutt Pepper Co., paid a visit to the YouTube talk show Hot Ones, where he was handed a plaque stating Pepper X’s record.
Photo: courtesy of First We Feast
“The flavor of Pepper X only lasts for a millisecond, and then the heat is just overwhelming.”
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by First We Feast.
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