Introducing ‘Pepper X’: The New World’s Hottest Pepper, Crowned by Guinness World Records – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Ed Currie, the renowned hot pepper expert from South Carolina, has shattered his own world record with his latest creation, Pepper X. This pepper is three times hotter than his previous creation, the Carolina Reaper, and has officially been recognized as the hottest pepper in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Pepper X, aptly named for its extreme heat, provides an immediate and intense burning sensation. In fact, Currie himself experienced the excruciating effects of Pepper X after consuming it. He described feeling the heat for three and a half hours, followed by intense cramps that left him incapacitated and writhing in pain for an hour.

The heat of peppers is measured using Scoville Heat Units (SHU). A regular jalapeno pepper rates at about 5,000 SHU, while the Carolina Reaper registered at 1.64 million SHU. Pepper X now holds the record at an average of 2.69 million SHU, surpassing the previous record by a significant margin. To put it into perspective, common pepper spray used by the police measures around 1.6 million SHU, and bear spray boasts 2.2 million SHU.

Pepper X has been the result of Currie’s relentless efforts since he set the previous record with the Carolina Reaper in 2013. The goal with Pepper X was to create a pepper that was not only extremely hot but also had a unique and pleasant flavor. While the Carolina Reaper has a scorpion tail and a vibrant red color, Pepper X is greenish-yellow and possesses a distinctive earthy flavor.