There are those who love chilli and spicy pepper madly and those who, at the mere thought, start to sweat. In everyday life we already feel courageous when we face a spicy oil on pizza, a teaspoon of Calabrian ‘nduja, a classic garlic, oil and chilli pasta or jalapeños on nachos. However, those levels of spiciness are a walk in the park when compared to the real “monsters” of the world.
To measure the degree of spiciness – given by the capsaicin molecule – of a food, the Scoville scalea system created in 1912 by the American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville which is based on the quantification of the capsaicinoids contained in the food. The ranking starts from level zero, occupied by the classic sweet pepper, and then increases in intensity with the Italian chili pepper (100-500 SHU), the jalapeñowhich varies between 2,000 and 50,000 units, andHabanerowhich stands at around 250,000 units. At the top of the ranking, however, there are extreme varieties, obtained specifically through crosses between different chili peppers, such as Pepperthe spiciest of all with values that can exceed 2.6 million units and the Carolina Reaper.
Ranking of the hottest chili peppers in the world
1. Pepper 2,693,000 SHU
The Pepper has been officially certified by Guinness World Records as the hottest chili pepper in the world, surpassing the previous record holder, the Carolina Reaper. Pepper 2,693,000 Scoville Units (SHU).
To give you an idea, it is hundreds of times spicier than a common Jalapeño. This chili was created by Ed Curriethe same person who had invented the Carolina Reaper. To do this, he crossed different chili peppers for over 10 years to maximize the quantity of capsaicin.
2. Carolina Reaper: 1.5 – 2.2 million SHU
The Carolina Reaper (Capsicum chinense) is also known by the selection name HP22B and was selected by Ed Currie in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA. With an average value between 1.5 and 2.2 million Scoville unitsthe Carolina Reaper entered the 2013 in the Guinness Book of Records as the hottest chilli pepper in the world. It has a bright red color with a wrinkled skin and a characteristic tip.
3. Moruga Scorpion Butch: 1,500,000 – 2,009,231 SHU
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Red (Capsicum chinense) is a Caribbean chili pepper famous for having held the world record before the advent of the Carolina Reaper. Reaching over 1,500,000 Scoville units, it has a rounded shape and a very irregular surface, and like the Carolina Reaper ends in a pointed appendage. The high spiciness of Trinidad Moruga Scorpion it is not immediate, but emerges “with a delay”, becoming difficult to manage. It was the first chili pepper to exceed 2 million SHU in peak spiciness.
4. 7 Pot Douglah: 1,000,000 – 1,853,936 SHU
The 7 Pot Douglah is another variety of Capsicum Chinense. It stands out from other super-hots due to its unique color chocolate brown fully ripe and for this reason it is also known as Chocolate 7 Pot. This chili pepper brings an extreme and immediate burn but according to experts it offers an aroma spicy and complex. The term “7 Pot” comes from a Caribbean legend according to which a single pod is so powerful that it can spice up well 7 pots of stew.
5. Katie: 1,200,000 – 1,590,000 SHU
The Katie (or 7 Pot Katie) was created in the UK by Nick Duran and is a cross between the Red Trinidad 7 Pot and the Naga Viper. Despite Scoville Unit levels reaching 1.6 million, it has a fruity and intense flavour. In appearance the pods are similar to small pendants with wrinkled skin and ripen from green to dark red and can reach 7.5 cm in length.
6. 7 Pot Primo: 1,100,000 – 1,469,000 SHU
The 7 Pot Primo with over 1 million SHU on the Scoville Scale, is a cross between a Naga Morich and a Trinidad 7 Pot. It is famous for its appearance very similar to the Carolina Reaper: red, lumpy and deformed, but above all with a long and pointed tail. Like many Caribbean super-hots, it has flavor floral and fruityalmost sweet at first, but these notes are quickly canceled out by an intense and persistent burning.
7. Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: 800,000 – 1,463,700 SHU
The Trinidad Scorpion Butch T is famous for having held the Guinness World Record as the hottest chili pepper in the world in 2011. It reaches the impressive figure of 1,463,700 SHU and is characterized by a red color and a small, stocky shape, with a very wrinkled skin. This variety also has a small tip on the bottom. Also in this case, upon tasting the heat develops very quickly, immediately hitting the throat.
8. Komodo Dragon: 500,000 – 1,400,000 SHU
The Komodo Dragon is a super chilli grown in the UK. It became famous across the Channel in 2015 when it went on sale in Tesco supermarkets, making such an extreme product accessible to the general public. Like Moruga Scorpion, the initial fruity flavor hides an intense heat after a few seconds.
9. Trinidad Scorpion Red: 500,000 – 1,390,000 SHU
Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean is the home of hot chili peppers. The name “Scorpion” of this variety derives from the lower part of the fruit which ends with a small curved tip which resembles the sting of a scorpion. The pods have wrinkled, bumpy skin and ripen from green to red. It was the starting pepper from which subsequent variants were developed (such as the Butch T or the Moruga).
10. Naga Viper: 600,000 – 1,382,118 SHU
The Naga Viper is a hybrid created in the United Kingdom by crossing three varieties: Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Scorpion. World record holder for a short time in 2011, it is famous for its heat that immediately attacks the tongue. Despite slipping to tenth place, peaking at almost 1.4 million SHU it remains an extreme experience for anyone who is not an expert or lover of spicy.
