Posted on 12/27/2013 9:07:41 AM PST by JoeProBono
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the hottest peppers in the world are the Carolina Reaper peppers grown in South Carolina by Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Co.
Currie spent more than four years working with students at Winthrop University to alter a sweet hot pepper from the Caribbean and give it more zip. During tests at Winthrop, the Reaper averaged just shy of 1.6 million Scoville Heat Units. To put that in perspective, a standard jalapeno pepper registers around 5,000 on the Scoville scale.
The previous record holder, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper, was measured by New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute with a mean of more than 1.2 million Scoville Heat Units.
Those are just the averages…
The hottest batch of Currie's peppers, code named HP22B -- Higher Power, Pot No. 22, Plant B -- clocked in at 2.2 million on the Scoville scale.
Currie sells Carolina Reaper seeds and hot sauces on the PuckerButt Pepper website. With names like “I Dare You Stupit” and “Purgatory,” Currie makes it fairly obvious he isn’t kidding about the heat.
This warning also helps to clarify that it might be wise to think twice before trying one of these sauces at home:
“After touching or handling hot peppers always remember to wash your hands with a product containing acidity such as lime or lemon juice. Some of our peppers are smokin’ hot and if not properly handled will temporarily damage skin tissue. When sharing your hot peppers with others, please let them know to use with caution.”
Serranos actually get me worse than habaneros. Just an unrelenting hotness about those little suckers. Especially when really fresh.
Here in Seattle there is a sea salt company that uses the Bhut Jolokia, or ghost pepper, in one of their salts. They also have various habanero and jalapeno salts.
With the ghost pepper, they use masks in the factory when they mix it with the salt. I like that one because one can add a lot of heat with a little salt to various soups and stews.
Generally, though, I prefer my standard red Tabasco sauce. Never got into the greens and other Tabascos that company makes.
¡Ay, Carumba!
I’m a wuss. I can’t even stand poblanos.
sounds delish... are the habaneros raw or roasted?
So long as this effort is not government (taxpayer) subsidized (Winthrop College?), let the race go, it hurts only those who subject themselves to it. Besides it gets that title back here in the good ol’ USA from India’s Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper!
My real question is what does this do for morning breath?
All being used for weapons, I presume?
I thought the “Ghost” chili pepper was commonly known as the hottest. Not on this list?
serranos are my favorite of the chilis... i use it in guacamole, scrambled eggs, salsa... love it raw and roasted...
And with that in mind, Happy Kwanzaa everybody.
Went to a house party with a bunch of coworkers. The host suggested we stay away from this white Chinese sauce. One of the guys went up and scooped up about half spoonful and ate it.
I took a little on my tongue and had heat flashes. I describe my tolerance as “normal.”
Coworker said he had always had a high tolerance for peppers and spice as did his grandfather.
Never did remember the name of the pepper or the sauce but it was white.
I’m buddies with Sammy Hagar’s kid, Aaron. Two years ago, I stopped into his bar to say ‘hi’. He said, ‘Hey, you like hot sauce, right?”. I said, “Oh, yeah. Can’t be too hot.” He then told me that he made a special batch for Michael Anthony because he was going to visit Tahoe for the weekend, but - unfortunately - couldn’t make it. He asked if I wanted it for my wings, adding “but it’s wickedly hot!”. Well, I cockily replied “Bring on this Rock Star wussy’s ‘hot sauce’! Puhlease!”.
Aaron brought out some wings with the sauce in a wimpy side cup. “Seriously? This is it?” My other friend bolstered my bravado and told Aaron “You haven’t seen Billy down blazing sauce, have you?” Aaron said “well, this will beat anything he’s tried...be warned.”
So, predictably, I downed a half shot of it, to try and put the Van Halen idol to shame. Yeah, Aaron went to get the milk and Blue cheese dressing before I had a chance to start crying. I was in hell for twenty minutes and had a revisit of the pain the next morning, on the exit.
For you sauce lovers who have my bravado, stop in to Cabo Wabo in Tahoe and see if they have any of Anthony’s sauce on hand...but do a pinky dip, first.
No kidding. Jalapeno is about as crazy as I need to get. Some drunk idiot will take a dare, eat one of those things and die. Just a matter of time.
Lol - Awesome! I was in the first table to the right, just outside the pic, facing that exact direction as tears fogged up the neon. How embarrassing. Ha!
The hottest I have ever experienced was eating a simple green bell pepper, and Italian sausage, while watching the election returns in the last election.. PuckerButt, indeed.. :)
I like the taste of what I eat.
I don’t care to scald my taste buds.
I also enjoy taking my Obama without scalding my wookie.
There is discussion of your ghost peppers on this thread.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.