What Is the World's Hottest Pepper?

The quest to cultivate the world's most scorching hot pepper is a never-ending arms race between ambitious, competitive chili breeders. In 2023, the aptly named Pepper X clinched the title of the world's hottest pepper according to Guinness World Records, dethroning previous record holder Carolina Reaper. With a blistering average Scoville rating of 2.69 million heat units, Pepper X packs a fiery punch over 3 times more powerful than the Carolina Reaper. Its exceptional pungency comes from years of selective breeding to concentrate levels of the chemical compound capsaicin. Pepper X was created by expert grower Ed Currie, who also developed the former champion Carolina Reaper. But Pepper X likely won't hold the crown forever, as the race to grow ever hotter peppers continues to escalate.