This tiny chili pepper packs a punch much bigger than its size would suggest. It might even be the hottest chili pepper in the world – read on to find out everything you need to know about this pepper.
The Dragon’s Breath pepper ranks in at a ginormous 2,480,000 Scoville Heat Units (abbreviated to SHU). For reference, the Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency/spiciness of chilies.
It is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, which are the active ingredient in chilies, and are an irritant compound for mammals, and will produce a burning sensation (the heat we get when we eat spicy food).
Bell peppers, pinemnto peppers, and banana peppers are all rated as 0 SHU, whereas commonly used spicy seasoning cayenne pepper is rated as 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. The notorious Naga Viper pepper is rated as 1,382,118.
With all of this in mind, it is not surprising that the Dragon’s Breath pepper is known as one of the spiciest.
When it comes to mind-blowingly hot chili peppers, there is one thing that you can take for certain – currently, they are just getting hotter and hotter, as chili pepper enthusiasts and farmers cross species all the time, to try to cultivate a new super hot stable chili strain.
New types of chilies that top the Scoville scale are always being created – and that is definitely the case with the Dragon’s Breath chili.
Some have reported that the Dragon’s Breath pepper is hotter than the long-time reigning champion, the Carolina Reaper, as it ranks 280,000 SHU higher.
It might even rival standard pepper spray (like the stuff used by law enforcement). The Dragon’s Breath pepper certainly lives up to its name.
What Is The Dragon’s Breath Chili Pepper?
This pepper originated in the UK and was developed as a result of avid chili enthusiast and farmer Neal Price, NPK Technology, and the Nottingham Trent University.
It was the result of special scientific tests of special plant food, and its essential oil’s use as a skin anesthetic.
After its development, it was cultivated by Welsh chili grower Mike Smith, which gave it its name – Dragon’s Breath, after the national icon, the red Welsh dragon. It was entered into the Chelsea Flower Show, in the Plant of the Year contest, for which it was shortlisted for but did not win.
Dragon’s Breath Pepper Appearance
These chilies are pretty small, only around ½ an inch in length. The skin is very wrinkly and bumpy, just a lot of the super hot chilies, and has a tiny tail, that indicates its high heat levels.
Chili grower Mike Smith, who is the owner of Tom Smith’s Plants, said that he mainly began growing it not for its immense heat, but because the tiny peppers are interesting and aesthetically pleasing (which was important to him, as he wanted to submit it for consideration at the Chelsea Flower Show).
Is It The Hottest Chili Pepper?
The Dragon’s Breath chili is hotter than some of the most notorious super hots, such as the Carolina Reaper, and the Naga Viper.
As the typical jalapeño pepper comes in at a comparatively measly 5,000 SHU, the Dragon’s Breath pepper is a humongous 992 times more spicy/potent than a jalapeño.
Despite this, the pepper is not as hot as unofficially reported Pepper X.
The Guinness Book of World Records has yet to test and certify the Dragon’s Breath chili, and Pepper X, meaning that the Carolina Reaper is still known as the hottest chili pepper in the world, though in reality, it is probably a few steps below that title.
Can I Buy The Dragon’s Breath Chili?
Unfortunately, no, you cannot purchase the Dragon’s Breath chili; it has not hit markets, so is not available for commercial consumption, and there is no word from growers that it is on the way.
It seems like it is a dead end plant, and might be unstable (meaning that it is difficult to produce seeds/offspring that will grow to fruit).
It is probably not profitable for farmers to put research and time into finding a way to grow Dragon’s Breath chili, as on the whole, it is jits too hot for commercial use and consumption.
If you are really desperate to try the Dragon’s Breath chili, seeds occasionally crop up on Amazon, and seed selling websites, though you might have to do quite a bit of internet trawling to find them.
What Is The Hottest Commercially Available Hottest Pepper?
The hottest pepper available for purchase is the Carolina Reaper, which is widely available, especially from specialty online retailers. It measures a mighty two million SHU.
