Pepper X is the Hottest Pepper in the World as of October 2023.
If you’ve been anywhere in the chilehead world lately, you’ve probably already heard about the new “Pepper X”, a contender for the Hottest Chili Pepper in the World. As of October 2023, Pepper X has now been officially tested and recognized as the hottest pepper in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.
What is Pepper X?
“Pepper X” is the temporary name for the chili pepper bred by Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Pepper Company, the same man behind the creation of the Carolina Reaper. According to Ed, he crossed multiple peppers to achieve a pepper hotter than the Carolina Reaper, the current hottest, which measures over 2 Million Scoville Heat Units, with an average of 1.64 Million SHU. According to Ed Currie, “Pepper X is three times hotter than any other peppers that are out there available commercially. It’s twice as hot as the Reaper at 1.6 million, so this is a dangerous pepper.” He has spent 10 years developing this pepper.
How Hot is Pepper X?
Pepper X averages 2,693,000 Million Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale. Some reports put it at 3.18 Million Scoville Heat Units, well above the Carolina Reaper. For comparison, the Carolina Reaper measures in at 2,200,000 Scoville HEat Units (SHU) with an average of 1.64 Million SHU. The Bhut Jolokia (aka Ghost Pepper), measures in at 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units. A typical jalapeno pepper averages about 5,000 Scoville Heat Units. Learn more about the Scoville Scale here.
Is Pepper X Officially the Hottest Pepper in the World?
Yes, Pepper X is officially the hottest pepper in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The Scoville score was calculated by Winthrop University in South Carolina, who conducted tests using peppers from the past four years. This comes nearly 4 years after I was personally told word would come by November of 2019. Congratulations, Ed!
What is the Current Hottest Pepper in the World?
The previous Hottest Chili Pepper in the World was the Carolina Reaper, which measures over 2 Million Scoville Heat Units at the top end of the scale. Learn more about the Carolina Reaper here.
Pepper X Hot Sauce
While we’re not currently able to taste test this pepper for ourselves, you can purchase a hot sauce called “The Last Dab” made with Pepper X peppers, which is a collaboration between Ed Currie and The Heatonist founder Noah Chaimberg. Here is information from the web site: One Dab to rule them all. The Last Dab. When Sean Evans and the Hot Ones team were looking for a sauce to deliver the final sendoff, to squeeze the last juicy secrets from their guests, they knew that no known pepper would do. So they came to HEATONIST. We partnered with Guinness World Record holding pepper breeder Smokin’ Ed Currie to create a sauce using his latest creation: Pepper X. More than simple mouth burn, Pepper X singes your soul. Starting with a pleasant burn in the mouth, the heat passes quickly, lulling you into a false confidence. You take another bite, enjoying the mustard and spice flavors. This would be great on jerk chicken, or Indian food! But then, WHAM! All of a sudden your skin goes cold and your stomach goes hot, and you realize the power of X. ** Limit 2 per order ** Ingredients: Pepper X peppers, distilled vinegar, ginger root, turmeric, coriander, cumin, dry mustard Check out the video at First We Feast of people trying “The Last Dab” hot sauce: https://firstwefeast.com/eat/hot-ones-hot-sauce-the-last-dab Thanks to both Ed Currie and Noah at The Heatonist for sending along the photo and information. I’ll be sure to post more information as it becomes available. Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll see if I can answer them for you, or find the information to help. – Mike H.
Relevant Links
What is the Hottest Chili Pepper in the World? List of Hottest Chili Peppers in the World Scoville Scale
NOTE: This page was updated on 10/17/23 to include new information. It was originally published on 2/23/18.
