NOTE: This post was updated on 7/9/19 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 11/14/2013. With a Guinness-submitted 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (previously submitted as 1,569,383 SHU average and recently measured peak levels of over 2,200,000 SHU, SMOKIN’ ED’S CAROLINA REAPER® has officially completed its long journey to the top of “superhot” chili charts. As of 2013 it was over 7 generations old. Ed created this chili pepper plant variety by crossing a Pakistani Naga with a Red Habanero type from St Vincents Island in the West Indies. It was bred in South Carolina and tested at over 2.2 Million Scoville Heat Units (with an aveerage of 1,641,000 SHU) by Winthrop University. The flavor is fruity and similar to a 7 Pot chili pepper. The Carolina Reaper can grow to a height over 4 feet tall. It was listed at the hottest pepper in the world by the Guinness World Records until it was overtaken by Pepper X. Compared to your average jalapeno pepper, it measures 175 to 880 times hotter. Compare that to a typical jalapeno pepper, which averages about 5,000 Scoville Heat Units, and the hottest Carolina Reaper is up to 440 times hotter. That is crazy hot! Ghost peppers range in heat from 855,000 – 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), so the hottest Carolina Reaper is more than twice as hot. The skin tends to sport a bumpy texture, though some can have a smoother texture. One distinctive feature is a typical scorpion-like tail, much like that of a scorpion pepper. Check out this Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce Recipe - The Hottest Damn Hot Sauce I Ever Made. Despite the “tongue in cheek” name, it is a highly flavorful sauce that mellows with age. It is best when used sparingly, as a little can go a long way. Consider stirring some into your Thai food dishes to extra heat, or into larger pots of chili, soups or stews.
Can Eating a Carolina Reaper Kill You?
No, eating Carolina Reapers or other superhot chili peppers will not kill you. However, it is possible to overdose on capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers hot. One would need to eat more than 3 pounds of reapers to achieve this. There have been reports of people ending up in the hospital in extreme situations after eating reapers, particularly those with previous medical conditions. There is also the story of a man who burned a hole in his esophagus from eating super hot peppers, but that is not entirely true. The truth is that the hole was formed from vomiting after he ate a burger with ghost pepper puree. While it is true that eating extremely hot peppers can cause vomiting, nausea and stomach pain, the reality is that they cannot tear or burn through any of your body parts. One report listed the Dragon’s Breath Pepper at 2,483,584 SHU, though it is most likely a hoax. My mouth flamed and eyes watered, and it took at least 30 minutes for the heat to subside. When I normally eat reapers, I cook them into foods, use them for making hot sauces, or dehydrate them for making chili powders, which is how I usually consume them. I also enjoy making reaper jelly, which works great as a spread or a glaze for grilling meats. If you’re interested in more superhot chili pepper information, check out my further resources below.
