The Guinness Book of World Records is full of extraordinary and eccentric achievements from all over the world. And since October 16, a new record holder has been added to the list: the hottest chili pepper in the world. This fiery pepper, known for its intense heat, has surpassed all previous records and will surely make even the bravest spice lovers reach for a glass of milk.
So you might be wondering:
What is the hottest chili pepper in the world?
Allow us to enlighten you. The record was previously held by the ‘Carolina Reaper’ from when it was created by Ed Currie in 2013 until 2023.
Carolina Reaper
After a decade, the Carolina pepper was dethroned by another pepper known as ‘Pepper X’. This new contender packs an even punch, measuring an average of 2.69 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it the reigning spiciness champion. Winthrop University in South Carolina conducted a series of tests and found that the new spice champion is about 1.6 times hotter and spicier than the Carolina Reaper.
Paprika X
What’s even more interesting is that the new pepper was also created by Ed Currie. Currie is the founder and president of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company, a harvester and producer of some of the hottest pepper products around. According to the official Guinness Book of World Records website, it took Currie 10 years to grow Pepper X. He already held the record for growing the hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, but he wanted to break his own record. To create the next hottest pepper, he had to increase its capsaicin levels, so he crossed Pepper X with some of his hottest peppers, and finally after 10 years his hard work paid off.
How is the spiciness/spiciness of paprika determined?
In 1912, the American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville devised a scale for determining the hotness of pepper, called the Scoville scale. The scale determines the level of hotness or spiciness of the pepper based on the amount of capsaicin it contains.
The testing method involves extracting the capsaicinoids from the peppers and diluting them using a solution of sugar and water until a group of highly trained taste testers can no longer detect the pepper’s spiciness. A higher dilution corresponds to a higher heat index value and, as a result, a higher capsaicinoid concentration. The test is based on the initial amount taken from the pepper as well as the training of the taste tester.
The level of spiciness is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU), which indicate how many times the capsaicinoid concentration must be diluted before it becomes immeasurable.
And the new record holder, Pepper X contains an average of 2.69 million SHU. In comparison, the average value of a jalapeño pepper is somewhere between 3000 to 8000 SHU, so you can imagine how hot pepper X must be.
With its fiery reputation as the new hottest chilli in the world, Pepper X is not for the faint of heart and should be approached with caution even by the most daring spice lovers.
Also read | What is the difference between a lime and a lemon?
You may also like | Top 10 largest cities in the world by population [October 2023]
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education