Anyone interested in the world of chilies is bound to have heard of Pepper X by now. While it was a contender in the Hottest Chilli Pepper in the World competition, this chili pepper seems to be a bit of a mystery to the chiliheads of the world.
Pepper X is an interim name for the plant that was successfully bred by Ed Currie. Currie is no stranger to the world of chili as he is part of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company and is the man behind the creation of the infamous Carolina Reaper.
Currie says that he created the Carolina Reaper by crossbreeding lots of varieties of chili plants.
The result was a chili that can reach over 2 million Scoville Heat Units so it is likely that he used a similar system to produce Pepper X over its ten-year development cycle.
Sources say that Pepper X is three times hotter than any other chili pepper that is available on the market. It sure is one dangerous chili!
Pepper X Spiciness
There is no official confirmation of Pepper X’s hotness but some reports have put it at over 3 million Scovilles. This is substantially hotter than the Carolina Reaper and is at a level that we can’t even comprehend!
To put Pepper X into some perspective, it is more than a million Scoville Units hotter than a Carolina Reaper and has more than two million Scovilles over the Ghost Pepper – otherwise known as a Bhut Jolokia.
If you are not a chili expert and can’t quantify the Pepper X, think of a jalapeno pepper. These are noticeably spicy for most people depending on spice tolerance.
The jalapeno has a Scoville Heat Unit rating of roughly 5,000. This means that you would need over 630 jalapenos to get anywhere near the Pepper X’s reported spicy level.
Where To Buy Pepper X
At present, we can’t get hold of Pepper X to do a taste test but you can purchase a hot sauce made with chili pepper.
‘The Last Dab’ sauce has been made as part of a collaboration between The Heatonist’s founder Noah Chaimberg and Ed Currie.
It has been described as ‘singeing your soul’ with a taste that starts as a ‘pleasant’ burn in the mouth that then makes your skin turn cold and your stomach gets hot. No doubt this sauce is not for the faint-hearted!
Pepper X As The World’s Hottest Pepper
We are soon expecting the official verdict that the Pepper X chili has overtaken the Carolina Reaper to be the hottest pepper in the world. This has yet to be confirmed by Guinness World Records but its title has been secured by tasters in an unofficial capacity.
The current hottest pepper in the world that is recognized by Guinness World Records is the Carolina Reaper with a Scoville score that is well under Pepper X’s. The million Scoville Unit difference is why we are so sure that the Pepper X will soon officially be the world’s hottest chili pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Make A Chili Plant Spicier?
If you want to grow your own chilies, you can keep your plant under slight water stress to help make it spicier.
This is because the plant is going to divert more nutrients to the fruit rather than the leaves which causes the chili pepper fruits to develop more spice quickly.
Keep the soil moist as much as you can but avoid water logging – dryer soil is what will lightly stress out a plant.
Are Dried Chillis Hotter Than Fresh?
On the whole, dried chillis are spicier than fresh peppers as they contain more capsaicin which is the molecular compound that produces what our mouths recognize as heat.
The higher the concentration of capsaicin, the spicier the chili. The drier the chili, the more concentrated the capsaicin.
Some chilies, however, are spicier when they are fresh because of the higher water content.
Water does not actually impact the taste or hotness of the chili, it just moves the capsaicin around your mouth quicker. This means that more of your mouth is in contact with the spiciness of the chili rather than there being more hotness.
What Is The Hottest Part Of The Chili?
Many people wrongly assume that the hottest part of a chili is the seeds. Next time someone says this, tell them that they are wrong and invite them to try the ‘placenta’ of the fruit.
The placenta is the white or pale fleshy tissue inside the pepper that holds the seeds in place. The current consensus in the scientific community is that this flesh evolved to deter potential predators that would destroy the seeds by eating them.
Why Is Chili So Addictive?
Apart from being highly delicious, eating spicy chilies causes a rush of endorphins in the brain as the body tries to defend itself against the ‘pain’ of capsaicin which is the molecule responsible for spice.
Capsaicin creates a burning sensation in your mouth’s nerve endings causing this rush of endorphins that try to ease the pain. This rush of feel-good hormones is addictive to humans and makes us crave more.
Are Green Or Red Chilies Hotter?
As a general rule, you can expect a green chili to be hotter than red. This is because a green chili is less ripe than red, meaning much of the capsaicin has not left the flesh of the pepper. This is a marginal difference in pepper hotness and only applies where the chilies are the same species.
