Pepper X is one hot l
Heatonist/Julian Bracero
Pepper X has been crowned the hottest chili in the world, according to Guinness World Records. With around 2.69 million Scoville heat units (SHU), Pepper X is approximately 500 times hotter than a jalapeno. It has surpassed the previous record holder, the Carolina Reaper, by around one million SHU.
Pepper X was bred by Ed Currie, who also created the Carolina Reaper. Currie bred Pepper X after a friend sent him a variety of chili that was extremely hot. By crossing that chili with the Carolina Reaper, Currie managed to create an even hotter pepper. It took him around ten years to cultivate Pepper X in his greenhouses in South Carolina.
Currie made headlines when he ate an entire Pepper X in a video posted online. He experienced intense heat for three and a half hours, followed by cramps. Capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for the heat in peppers, binds to a receptor in nerve cells in mammals, triggering a burning sensation. However, birds lack this molecular receptor, so they do not feel the spiciness.
Consuming excessive amounts of spicy food can cause vomiting, stomach pain, and burning diarrhea. One way to alleviate the heat is by drinking milk, as the dairy protein casein helps neutralize the capsaicin molecules. Despite Pepper X’s record-breaking spiciness, Currie is already working on developing even hotter peppers for the future.
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