The World’s Hottest Pepper Was Just Dethroned by This New Variety That’s 3 Times Hotter

Move over Carolina Reaper!

The heat is on! There is a new pepper that has been crowned as the world's hottest. Are you ready to give it a try? Be prepared because this chile, known as Pepper X, is three times spicier than any other hot pepper before it, including the previous record-holder, the Carolina Reaper.

South Carolina pepper expert Ed Currie is the farmer responsible. He has crossbred this new beauty, perfecting it over 10 years (though he keeps the breeding formula a secret). Currie is also the grower behind the (now second hottest) Carolina Reaper which he developed in 2013. Pepper X is a hot topic with the food crowd, having just received the Guinness World Record title with a creation Currie says provides "immediate, brutal heat" for any brave eater ready to take a bite—as detailed in the "First We Feast" YouTube video featuring the Hot Ones team. So just how spicy are we talking?

What Is the Scoville Rating of the New Pepper X?

Now this all has us wondering...Where does the Pepper X fall on the heat scale? It can claim a measurement of 2.69 million Scoville units according to the record-keepers at Guinness World Records. That's a lot of heat from one pepper!

As a reminder, the Scoville scale is the standard for measuring the heat of peppers recorded in units (SHU.) The spiciness is measured and recorded in units based on levels of the chemical compound called capsaicin. This is the main ingredient in chile peppers that generates the heat. Pure amounts of capsaicin measure 16 million SHU. In comparison, bell peppers, which contain no spice, rank at 0 SHU.

Capsaicin works by convincing the brain into thinking the body is in danger. When you take a bite of a spicy pepper or pour on the hot sauce, the chemical activates a heat-sensing receptor called TRPV1 that triggers a response. This is when the spicy element of a pepper can begin to build. The receptor alerts the brain that there's been a change in heat and responds by sending a jolt of pain. The physical reaction is similar to touching a hot object, pulling away, and then having our body slowly cool itself down.

The physical reaction to eating a hot pepper may include sweating and breathing fast as the body attempts to lower the temperature. You also might experience a runny nose if you inhale while eating the pepper and the capsaicin micro-particles enter the body through the nose and your body tries to flush it out. Some foods are spicy for some and not for others depending on the physical reactions of the individual adventurous taste-tester.

It can feel like the overwhelming reaction may never go away when you are gripped by a spicy overload of a reaction but the pain and discomfort will eventually subside. The relief should arrive in about 15 to 20 minutes.

And that's just for your average spicy pepper.

Pepper X Is the Hottest Pepper in the World

Pepper X is a whole different ball game. That's just how this small, pale greenish-yellow, wrinkly, misshapen fruit earned its new title of world's hottest. If you're wondering what it's like to taste one, Currie gave details on his first taste to "The Associated Press:" "I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain." (Keep in mind, he eats super spicy peppers for a living.)

Back on the "First We Feast" piece, Currie said "a lot of people" deserved credit for development. "People said it couldn't be done, they called us liars, and we proved to them that Pepper X is actually the hottest pepper in the world, officially from Guinness."

Where to Get Pepper X

If you think you can handle the heat (think really hard), the record-setting pepper is available for purchase in one of PuckerButt's Pepper X-infused hot sauces, wing sauce, or salsa.

Read the original article on All Recipes.