Believe it or not, the title of “world’s hottest pepper” is still one that is often put up for debate, as good experts continue to breed new, spicy peppers every year. Genetic developments, soil types and even geographic circumstances allow for these constant new creations. Check out some of the hottest peppers in the world today!
7 Pot Barrackpore
The 7 Pot Barrackpore pepper is a type that manages to stand out even in relativity to other more mellow 7 Pot varieties. It registers a whopping 1,000,000 to 1,300,000 Scoville heat units (to put this in comparison, an average red Tabasco sauce is only 2,500 to 5,000 units).). Unlike other peppers, the 7 Pot Barackpore tends to be a bit more bitter than it is fruity.
7 Pot Brain Strain
The aptly-named 7 Pot Brain Strain pepper can trump even the 7 Pot Barrackpore when it comes to pure, unmitigated heat. At 1,000,000 to 1,350,000 Scoville heat units, this incredibly hot pepper earns its name not only from the intense heat but also because it’s shaped like the human brain.
Naga Viper
The Naga Viper pepper is a cross-breed of the ghost pepper, the Naga Morich and the Trinidad Moruga, making it unsurprising that it packs the punch of all three, scoring between 900,000 to 1,382,188 Scoville heat units. At one point, from 2011 to 2012, it held the Guinness world record for the hottest chili pepper in the world.
Trinidad Scorpion ‘Butch T’
The Trinidad Scorpion ‘Butch T’ pepper scores between 800,000 to 1,463,700 Scoville heat units, and held the Guinness world record for hottest pepper for three years in a row. Those looking for a reliably intense spicy kick would bode well by choosing this pepper, as while the ‘Butch T’ doesn’t have as high a peak as other peppers, these peppers tend to be much hotter on average.
Naga Morich
The Naga Morich (sometimes also referred to as the serpent chili) is a relative of the ghost pepper. On the Scoville scale, the Naga Morich typically measures at around 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 units. The intense spiciness is complemented by the sweet flavor the pepper has. It’s also more of a slow-burning pepper, meaning that you’ll feel the heat long after that initial bite into the pepper.
Dorset Naga
The Dorset Naga is bred using the seeds of the most popular Naga peppers. The result is a chili that combines a floral taste that can be cooked in a variety of options, with a temperature like no other. Boasting an average 1,000,000 to 1,598,227 Scoville heat units, the Dorset Naga will provide a punch without getting too uncomfortable that you won’t taste anything else.
7 Pot Douglah
With Naga and 7 Pot sub-groups dominating lists of world’s spiciest peppers for decades now, it’s no surprise that experts keep developing hotter and hotter versions of them. One such chili, the 7 Pot Douglah, packs a spicy punch — it ranks at 923,889 to 1,853,986 Scoville heat units, making it one of the few peppers in history to ever get near the two million mark. This pepper turns a chocolate-brown color as it ages, and also has a sweet, nutty flavor.
Carolina Reaper
The Carolina Reaper, named for its South Carolina origins, has held the record for hottest pepper in the world since November 2013. Coming in at a whopping 1,400,000 to 2,200,000 units on the Scoville heat scale, this chili’s spice is so intense that it’s even more powerful than s most pepper sprays.
