Superhot Chilli Peppers
Some chilli growers classify superhot varieties as being varieties which have an average heat level of 350,000 SHU upwards. However, given how some of the hotter Habaneros, namely Caribbean Red Habanero and Chocolate Habanero, have supposedly been measured at 577,000 SHU then I classify superhot varieties as being varieties which have an average heat level of 600,000 SHU upwards. Although some of the hotter Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets can be blisteringly hot I wouldn't consider any of them to be superhot varieties. I consider superhot varieties to be a distinct group of chillies with their own heat profile, which I'd describe as being more aggressive and much sharper than that of even the hottest Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets. Superhot chillies are known for having a pimply skin texture (rough exocarp), giving them a very fearsome and gnarly-looking appearance. However, not all superhot varieties have a rough exocarp. Some can also appear smooth.
A Brief History of Super Chillies in the West
Superhot chillies have been known about for centuries by the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the people of India and Bangladesh, but they only became a new toy to people in the West around the beginning of the 1990s. In Trinidad, they are not used very often in food because they are considered too spicy for the average palate. Instead, they are used in arthritic medications, marine paint, capsaicin for pepper spray and animal feeds. In India, they are used sparingly in the cuisine of certain regions, namely Northeast India, which includes Nagaland and its infamous head hunting tribes, and neighbouring Bangladesh. Bhut Jolokia and Naga Morich have been known about by the British Bangladeshi community for a very long time and both varieties are highly venerated and often sold at international food stores in baskets lined with gold or silver coloured cloths.
Although superhot chillies have had a presence in the West since around the 1990s, they didn't really start gaining popularity until the media attention first began in the early 2000s. At that time, the four main varieites available to chilli enthusiasts were Bhut Jolokia and Naga Morich (both from India and Bangladesh) and Trinidad 7-Pot and Trinidad Scorpion (both from Trinidad and Tobago). These four main varieties, and various accessions of them, gained popularity very quickly, which then led to certain individuals seeing the money making potential within superhot chillies and the whole thing was soon turned into a marketing gimmick and became a lucrative niche. Pandora's Box had been flung wide open and it was like stepping into the Moulin Rouge after consuming half a bottle of absinthe — faces painted in vivid colours, rooms thick with smoke, the strong stench of perfume, scarlet curtains and the green fairy's whisper.
New world record breakers were regularly showing up and were treated with great scepticism by some and like the birth of the Messiah by others. The whole thing then quickly turned into an arms race. People were appearing in the media with bragging rights attached to the latest world record breaker and then using the publicity to drive custom to their chilli seed and hot sauce businesses. As with the tulip bulb mania of the 1960s, customers were often overcharged for seeds for the latest world record breaker and hot sauces that contained it. Seed sellers knew they would make most of their money on seed sales during the initial release because afterwards people always shared them around for free. Once the money started flowing in the rhetoric intensified and people became more creative. New superhot varieties, often times with names containing the labels '7-Pot' or 'Scorpion' and sometimes prefixed with the label 'Trinidad', were popping up on a regular basis that looked almost identical to superhot varieties that already existed, except they had a different back-story, which further drove demand for superhot chilli seeds and chilli-based products.
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| Big Black Mama - 9th September 2025 |
Hot sauce vendors began marketing new products containing the latest world record breaking chilli whilst chilli seed vendors were busy marketing and selling overpriced seeds to customers. With so much heated competition, many failed hot sauce vendors and chilli seed vendors, all hungry for a slice of the freshly baked spicy pie, came and went like morning mist over the Scottish Highlands. Some made a small fortune, and after squeezing all they could from it they dropped everything like a hot potato and left the remnants to dry up and blow away. Some changed their sales pitch and started focusing on milder, more flavourful varieties instead, whilst others parked their domain names and disappeared into other markets, namely vaping, cannabis and peanut butter. Just as Middle Easterners bring with them the desert and leave behind sand and Eskimos bring with them the snow and leave behind cold feet, then so too it was that these nomadic, free-spirited travellers of lands, seas and markets came and went, leaving behind only the faint aroma of Cajun seasoning, numerous shiny metal objects that they couldn't carry and the distant cry of a new born child.
New YouTube channels were popping up on a regular basis where people could keep up to date with the latest dramas in the hot pepper world and watch entertaining videos of brave new pioneers abusing their digestive tracts by taking part in hot pepper challenges. YouTube became awash with videos of people reviewing someone's latest hot sauce creation or eating whole superhot pods that had been kindly sent to them by church-going vendors all hungry for publicity and new customers. People had become hooked on attention and were receiving their fix from the same calculated dealers whose character resembled that of a newly discovered deadly sewer bacteria which has no known antidote. It was a big circle of light inside a crowded coliseum and the superhots had become the spotlights. Due to fierce rivalry and numerous tribal clashes, many channels just disappeared like Moruga Scorpion fumes in a late-night kitchen.
The large double doors stood wide open to the warm Paris night. "Who left the doors open", a stagehand bellowed from below, "And what are those winged creatures flying around the spotlights?" Lounged on a thimble of absinthe in the rafters of the old opera house, "Those", replied the green fairy in a voice sweet as anise, "Those are my cousins."
Some burned bright and brief like the brave pioneers of old sat around a single camp fire — golden faces in the flickering glow, stories aglow, and then, in the morning, all that remained was a dust cloud on the horizon and the distant sound of wagon wheels, leaving only the wide-open prairie to consume their patriarchal songs. Like a cholla segment refusing to let go of a passing desert critter, in one last-ditch attempt to gain mass media attention and reach greater heights, some were even flown over 4000 miles away to Germany at gunpoint by the Carolina Reaper to appear on a TV talent show where they put on a colourful spectacle of projectile vomiting for a discontented audience, turning a lot more stomachs than they did heads! After the type of performance that normally lives rent-free in nightmares, they returned home feeling like turkeys that had just caught Bernard Matthews staring at them and then retreated into the shadows and surround themselves with cannabis paraphernalia.
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| Trinidad 7-Pot - 11th September 2019 |
People became very emotionally involved with superhots and heated dramas and arguments were all too commonplace on internet forums and in Facebook groups, many of which also came and went like the last remnants of evening light over a cold winter sea. Superhots almost became like a drug to some people, and labels like 'dealer' and 'Mafia' were used in new business names. You could say anything you wanted about the humble Habanero and nobody cared one bit, but if you even so much as dared to say anything cynical about someone's latest superhot hybrid it was like getting too close to a hornets' nest. Individuals who ventured too close were attacked and had their names tarnished and reputations brought into disrepute by protective parents and the loyal acolytes of those with a vested interest in the niche, some of whom were only referred to as 'the boss' or 'the administration'. "Hey, [name redacted], the boss IS looking for you." Who were these mysterious figures who controlled edgy shepherds from the shadows but never intermingled with their flocks?
Internet forums and Facebook groups were turned into fiercely guarded territories where friends were kept close and enemies were kept closer. Where some individuals were elevated to God-like status while others were vehemently tarnished and became the subject of verbal witch-hunts by angry tribes wielding pitchforks and torches. "That ba**ard is taking the credit for something that I created! He stole my new cross and renamed it!" They became neat packages for shepherds to watch over their flocks and control the discourse and convenient places for vendors to market seeds, sauces and other gardening related products. Like sheepdogs circling the flock, some individuals were so heavily networked that they were like the curious dog that comes to greet everyone as they walk through the door, which IS still the case today. Sometimes, it was like looking into the eyes of multiple individuals at the same time and seeing one collective entity staring back at you. Like a strange game of rock, paper, scissors, whichever one of these places I picked it was normally the wrong one!
What was this strange world resembling Willy Wonka's Chocolate Bhut Jolokia Factory? Where real men drank superhots and laughed at anyone who asked for a glass of Habanero and orange? Where people used to say things like, "I need to cut down on superhots." Where people carried superhots on their person wherever they went and asked questions like, "Is anyone selling any powders?", and, "Has anyone ever tried smoking superhots or is it not recommended?" Where people chased the Dragon's Breath and inhaled so much Infinity powder and Naga Viper powder that they were visited by the Carolina Reaper and warned off? Where people spoke about different types of skins and were in possession of glass vials containing a substance so powerful that it had the ability to cause a herd of wild elephants to raise their trunks and sound the trumpet alarm before nervously stampeding through mud huts and millet fields?
"Has anyone given out my address? Someone came around tonight asking to buy powders and I don't even know who he is!" 😆
Groups became places for people to release their inner d*ckhead. Where stories emerged from colourful chilli festivals of people sat in restaurants staring through yellowing net curtains at suspicious looking individuals outside quickly sharing plants, pods, seeds and unknown powders from the boots of their cars. Where stories about members of the public being approached by eccentrically dressed characters holding a teaspoon in one hand and a bottle containing an unknown substance in the other were commonplace. Pornography had taken on a completely different meaning in the minds of men and was now about tickling flowers with small paintbrushes. If the insemination was a success then news and photographs of the newly born pepper of prophecy were spread throughout multiple groups by doting parents. Nobody cared whether the marmalade came from Harrods, Fortnum and Mason or Aldi, if it was in the fridge they stirred in superhot flakes and made toast! Anyone who said they were growing Golden Cayenne or Prairie Fire was treated like the criminally insane. "Nooo, mate. I'm only growing one orange hab and it's for the missus. All the rest are supers!" Women used alcohol to try and coax their preoccupied husbands away from the grow lights, but it didn't work. Instead, they just became inebriated and bought more seeds.
The female of the species can often hear the fire alarm long before the male has even smelt smoke. Comments like the following were all quite common: "I'm in trouble with the wife again. All I did was sprinkle flakes on my Sunday roast and now she's accused me of ruining it!", and, "I can't do any more this year, mate. The wife is already going ape sh*t. She wants everything shifted off the sills and moved down to the allotment by Wednesday", and, "I made a curry after work and added a whole red seven. I was okay but the wife threw up lol", and, "The wife hates C. chinense. She can smell 'em a mile off. If I'm in the kitchen making a sandwich and she's outside washing the car or getting rid of a wasps' nest she'll known if I cut one open!" The sight of a postman stood at the door holding a brown box or just the mere mention of 7-Pot, Naga or someone else's Bhut was enough to strike abject fear into the hearts of most traumatised wives and send them into an instant defensive posture. Some men spent more time listening to podcasts and counting ribs and seeds than they spent with their own wives, many of whom were already halfway out of the door due to the overwhelming stench of Trinidad Scorpion fumes.
"Hey, [name redacted], you know that green sauce you sent me in the glass bottle with a white lid? I opened it earlier and it made a loud hiss. It's started fermenting, mate! I don't wanna worry ya, but how many more bottles of it have you sent out?" 😬
You knew things were going badly when a man who kindly opted to help dish out Christmas dinner under the watchful glare of his significant other was looked upon with suspicion instead of a much needed and welcomed pair of hands! "I don't know why anyone eats them. It's like making love on a bed of nails!" How dare those pesky wives get in the way of men and their passion of superhots? Like children playing with matches, superhots became a new toy and people were starting fires that they couldn't put out. Can I have one box of bangers and a disposable lighter please? I've got very fond memories of consuming experimental hot sauces that burnt my oesophagus and made my neighbours cough and of opening a bag of superhot membrane powder that almost got me kicked out! Just seeing a photo on Facebook of a small grip seal bag containing a beige coloured powder with the name 'Spicy' written on it was enough to start me sneezing!
The relationship between people and plants is an interesting one. Potatoes and wheat have sustained nations, chocolate and sugar are an accepted norm all over the world, entire industries have been built up around attractive flowers, tobacco made 18th Century Scottish and American families extremely wealthy, and people spend small fortunes on cannabis growing equipment and even risk lengthy jail sentences or worse to grow it. It leads some to wonder whether people are in control of the plants or whether the plants are secretly in control of people. Either way, there will always be a cunning alchemist in the middle somewhere looking for ways to exploit it for financial gain. People in Britain were receiving plain white envelopes in the post from America and Australia, people in America were receiving plain white envelopes in the post from Australia and Britain, and people in Australia were receiving plain white envelopes in the post from America and Britain. Perhaps another vector for seed dispersal comes in the form of curious humans? The world was heating up, but it wasn't due to climate change. What were these exotic fruits that were uniting nations and setting the world on fire one pod at a time?
Those exotic, super spicy delights that were once only of legends had stepped out of the fire and into the dust of the waking world where they were unleashed onto an unfamiliar public that was untrained in their ways. Conjuring up images of 18th century tobacco barons wearing scarlet cloaks and holding gold-tipped canes, some were left wondering whether perhaps they were one of the best traps that Mother Nature and humankind had ever combined to devise. Like a melodic fairytale inside a weightless bubble of brightly coloured fairground lights, folk music and superhot magic — forever drifting slowly through the air on a warm summer's day, luminous and untethered, eternally on the move but temporarily constructed around a perfect heartbeat and overseen by the king and queen of an unseen realm. The heartbeat eventually changes as the music slows and the demand begins to wane, and the clothing of the energetic pattern never remains the same. Some things are more real in hindsight once they're lost to the passage of time.
Some people are so hooked on superhots that they're always looking for hotter and hotter varieties in order to scratch the itch. In the beginning, they brag about how many they can eat, but as time goes on and their tolerance increases they try to hide how many they're eating! If you're concerned that someone you know may have a problem, some of the tell-tale signs to watch for include: bloodshot eyes, runny nose, excessive hiccups, excessive sweating, excessive salivating, irregular sleep, secretive behaviour, changes in social circles and getting up before everyone else to check the mail. As tempting as it may be to open their mail, it's not advisable to do so because it has been known to cause aggressive outbursts and prolonged bouts of sneezing! If you find any small plastic bags containing unknown powder then by no means should you ever open them. Secretive behaviour can sometimes lead to distrust between couples, leaving some to believe that their partner may be having an affair of the botanical kind.
"This new cross took three lullabies and six confessions to create. Only one other person has seeds for it, and if it EVER gets out then I'll know who is responsible!" 😬
All of the world record breaking chillies have always been associated with someone who sells chilli seeds, chilli-based products, or both. Superhots have always been a marketing gimmick and a lucrative niche aimed at the ego. Sometimes, it appears to be more about ego than it does about chillies. Nowadays, the arms race seems to have come to a grinding halt with the emergence of the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, and the names of previous record holders and those which received media attention are normally drowned out by the names of the aforementioned two. Perhaps the next world record holder will have a Scoville scale rating of 6,666,666 SHU and will be the perfect embodiment of structure, function and order. Statements like, "I don't eat them. They're much too hot for me. The only reason why I sell seeds for them is because people ask for them", and, "No, I can't eat them. I struggle with anything hotter than Jalapeño. I only grow them to use in some of the spice mixtures that I sell", were quite common amongst vendors when you asked around, many of whom probably had as much interest in chillies as I have in collecting photos of disillusioned cats.
Today, we live amongst the echo of old that some people once helped to build and others have since claimed as a birthright. The Kenneth Copelands of the chilli world have turned chaos into order by developing their own multimillion-dollar empires and wrapping them in a crucifix to shield them from scrutiny, adding a whole new meaning to the term, 'new cross'. Some with more shady reputations prefer to put rainbow filters on everything and constantly virtue signal about how non-racist they are in order to attract a more diverse customer base from countries that they can't pronounce. "I'm not racist. I've got four black tyres and a black cat." Still carrying the opportunistic genes of the original ancestors and like rats leaving a sinking ship, some members of the species left the breeding colony and migrated north back to their ancestral motherland in search of fresh green shoots and pastures new. Like birds of a feather reunited once more and remembering how to fly, they then proceeded to marry into upper-class stock and began the process of creating their own empires with a new flock of sheep using inherited wealth that was built on the extraction and plunder of those less fortunate.
"Roll up, roll up", announced the kings and queens of heat. "Step right up and come on in. The doors to the web shop of eternal regret are now open. Grow your own red grenades and smoky spicy demons. Handle with gloves and repentance and everyone will be a winner! One taste and you'll speak in tongues. Two tastes and you'll meet the Chilli Gods! Like, share and subscribe. Pass the blaze!" 🤫
Just as vindaloo always seems more authentic when cooked by a Goan and lasagne seems more authentic when cooked by an Italian, some with a more exotic plumage who evolved in a more chaotic environment have added authenticity to their business ventures by using their place of birth as a marketing pitch. Others, with their eyes fixed permanently on the prize and with their potential loot already recognised and circled like carrion birds by the shepherds of nearby flocks, confidently reside high up on misty mountain peaks like organ grinders dressed in priestly robes whilst their bewildered flocks dance to the tunes of warped circus hymns below the summit like monkeys. Keep your hands tight on yer pfennigs, strangers; all ain't as it first appears! They come in twos and threes up the dusty garden path with stories that don't quite add up.
Although a new fire burns brightly today, it lacks the same intense heat of the first blaze, which I suspect has to do with the fact that because so many superhot varieties now exist the novelty has worn off. I suspect that the same energetic pattern is already preparing for round two, but this time with a different cast of characters. I predict that the new discoveries of tomorrow will have much more romantic tales to tell, involving remote jungles, mysterious ancient ruins, long-haul flights and faraway places. There are many superhot varieties in existence today that were born from the ashes of the early days, and although the fire from the early days is now gone, bright new shoots and strange new growth has since emerged from the ashes. What was consumed in the early fire hasn't disappeared; it just became the fuel source for the fire which exists today. With old classics now reduced to low glowing embers, in their place has arisen strange new forms that nobody could have ever predicted during the intense heat of the first blaze, and perhaps some of them will eventually be used to create the purest gold.
Nowadays, there are many superhot varieties available to chilli enthusiasts, all of which are A) original landrace varieties (still some of the most invasive and most deadly) or accessions of them, B) superhot varieties developed through selection to isolate certain traits or C) superhot hybrids developed by crossing superhots with other superhots or superhots with other Capsicum chinense varieties in an attempt to create unique superhot varieties or to create new superhot varieties that are even hotter than the superhot varieties currently in existence. With more and more being created on a weekly basis, national health security agencies are busy working around the clock to combat the issue and find an effective solution to the problem.
With names such as 7-Pot Brain Strain, 7-Pot Bubblegum, 7-Pot Infinity, 7-Pot Lucy, 7-Pot Katie, 7-Pot SR, 7-Pot Douglah, 7-Pot Rennie, 7-Pot Barrackpore, 7-Pot Chaguanas, 7-Pot Jonah, 7-Pot Lava, Trinidad Scorpion, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, Trinidad Scorpion CARDI, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Hurt Berry, Apocalypse, Bhutlah, Nagalah, Moruglah, Jigsaw, Borg9, Carolina Reaper, 7-Pot Primo, Primotalii, and we could go on ad infinitum, the amount of superhot varieties available to chilli growers nowadays can seem very overwhelming. Pick your weapon(s) of choice! Most of the aforementioned varieties also come in multiple colour variants, except for pastel blue, but I have no doubt that someone is currently working on it. There are so many new ones in existence today that Semillas La Palma even named one of their superhot creations J.A.F.S.H. (Just Another Fu**ing Super Hot) and gave it the description, "a superhot variety that was made by crossing two superhot Capsicum chinense varieties". 😆
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| Bengle Naga - 9th September 2025 |
I've heard lots of theories over the years about the possible origins of superhot chillies, some of which are more plausible than others; from a secret breeding program that took place in the Caribbean, resulting in far hotter strains than those currently known about, but for legal reasons they are not allowed to cross ports; to the existence of a ferociously hot species living deep within the Amazon rainforest, known only to local tribes and the US military, and that the Trinidadian superhots are just the tip of the iceberg; to seeds of Capsicum chinense being placed inside a nuclear reactor for gene alterations; to being obtained from India or Trinidad by free-spirited travellers and then spread throughout the world by the same families and their associates; to being a creation of several militaries for the purpose of crowd control; to being a gift from God for humans to enjoy; to being a mutated form of Capsicum chinense that evolved in radioactive soils.
Some of the above theories sound very far-fetched to me, but as the saying goes, the truth often exists between two or more extreme view points. My personal belief is that they evolved as semi-feral plants in a somewhat harsh environment where they were constantly attacked by mites and insects, causing them to produce higher levels of capsaicin. When more people began to recognise their high-heat levels they then started introducing them into other genetic lines. Whatever the case may be, superhot chillies became a driving force behind the chilli industry, and you could argue that this is still the case today. The niche may be small, but the fire is extremely fierce and the lioness is very vigilant! The Savannah may be wide, but this patch of shade that hides a cluster of super spicy magic, this belongs to her! No poachers or hyenas with laughing greed are allowed anywhere within striking distance. Titled "Lord Harris, the Ghost Pepper Governor", well renowned food historian, author and chilli pepper expert Dave DeWitt, AKA The Pope of Peppers, even wrote an article theorising about a possible transfer of superhot chilli seeds that may have taken place between India and Trinidad in the 1800s.
They lurk at the edges of the firelight wearing black robes heavy with symbols and holding scrolls containing ancient warnings from the prophets of old. "The Carolina Reaper's tail is the red serpent, and soon the whole Northern Hemisphere will be tried in fire", whispered the green fairy. "All it takes is one small bite and you'll see the faces of the Chilli Gods through eyes of molten glass. Can I tempt you to step beyond the smoke and the scarlet curtains?" 🌹
I love superhot varieties but I don't cook with them very often. I prefer the heat and flavour profiles of Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets for everyday cooking. Superhots are something I use occasionally in hot sauces, phall curries or similar concoctions. However, I still swear that the hottest chilli I've ever grown and eaten was an unknown 7-Pot strain. In 2009 and 2010, I grew a variety just labelled as Trinidad 7-Pot and the chillies were absolutely lethal! They were blocky-shaped with a rough exocarp and ripened from green to deep red. None of the superhot chillies I've eaten since then were as hot as that variety was. Given all the hype we've had about newer superhot varieties, it might seem like a crazy claim to make, but I'm being serious. Even back in 2014, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) had their landrace scorpion chilli listed as having a heat rating of two million Scoville Heat Units.
Superhot Chillies That Have Received Media Attention
Below is a list of superhot chilli peppers that have all received media attention, starting from the 1990s until present day. Some received media attention for one reason or another and others for being officially recognised as the hottest chillies in the world. Varieties with names written in red are ones which have officially held the Guinness World Record title for being world's hottest chilli, and varieties with names written in black are ones which have received media attention for one reason or another but have never officially held the title. There are many superhot chillies that often appear in internet lists of the world's hottest chillies but many of them have never received media attention and are little known about outside of chilli-head circles. To keep things simple, the list shown below only focuses on varieties which have been in the media.
Red Savina
Developed by Frank Garcia of GNS Spices in Walnut, California, true Red Savina is an F1 hybrid but the methods used to select the breeding strains are not publicly known. With a supposed Scoville scale rating of 577,000 SHU, it held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli from 1994 until 2006, when it was surpassed by the Bhut Jolokia. The Red Savina isn't considered as a superhot variety, but some people would rank it as being just a notch below superhot.Dorset Naga
The Dorset Naga is a substrain of Naga Morich and was developed by Joy and Michael Michaud of Sea Spring Farm in Dorset, England. It was selectively bred from a Bangladeshi Naga Morich that was purchased from an Asian store in Bournemouth, England. Still considered as one of the hottest chillies in the world, the Dorset Naga has an approximate Scoville rating of 1,221,000 SHU for ripe fruit. Although it has never officially held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli, it first started gaining media attention in 2006 when BBC Gardeners' World had a single fruit measured at 1,598,277 SHU, making it one of the hottest levels ever recorded for a chilli pepper at that time.Bhut Jolokia
In the year 2000, a scientist named R.K.R. Sing working for the Indian government's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) in Assam became curious about the heat of Bhut Jolokia, a variety which is indigenous to Northeast India and neighbouring Bangladesh. He sent samples away for laboratory analysis and the results came back with a Scoville scale rating of 855,000 SHU. In 2001, shortly after learning about the results, Dr Paul Bosland of New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute (CPI) grew Bhut Jolokia plants under controlled conditions in Southern New Mexico with seeds obtained in India by a member of the Chile Pepper Institute who had visited the country on vacation. After carrying out his own independent scientific analysis he confirmed the extreme pungency of Bhut Jolokia with a Scoville scale rating of 1,001,304 SHU.Further testing was carried out in 2004 by Indian scientist using Bhut Jolokia chillies that had been obtained from Frontal Agritech in Assam and the results yielded a Scoville scale rating of 1,041,427 SHU using HPLC analysis. Bhut Jolokia, also known as the Ghost Pepper, held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli from 2007 until 2011, when it was surpassed by the Infinity.
Infinity
The Infinity chilli, also known as 7-Pot Infinity, is the result of an accidental cross that took place once upon a time between two Capsicum chinense varieties in the corner of a polytunnel in Grantham, England. Nick Woods, founder of Firefoods, who was already growing several of the world's hottest chillies, discovered the plant growing in the corner of his polytunnel. With a Scoville scale rating of 1,067,286 SHU, the Infinity chilli held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli for just two weeks in February 2011, before being surpassed shortly afterwards by the Naga Viper.Naga Viper
Developed by chilli farmer Gerald Fowler, founder of the Chilli Pepper Company based in Cark, Cumbria, England, the Naga Viper is a three-way hybrid produced from the Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Scorpion. Recognised as one of the hottest chillies in the world with a Scoville scale rating of 1,382,118 SHU, the Naga Viper chilli held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli from February 2011 until March 2011, when it was surpassed by the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T.Trinidad Scorpion Butch T
Trinidad Scorpion Butch T was propagated in Mississippi, United States, by Butch Taylor, founder of Zydeco Hot Sauce, and was originally discovered as an off-type growing amongst a patch of Trinidad Scorpion plants. The phenotype of the chillies differed from the other Trinidad Scorpions in so much as they had a more consistent shape and they were also much hotter and had a better flavour. After isolating the off-type for several generations he then began sharing seeds with the rest of the chilli community. Butch Taylor was well known for his generosity in the chilli community and would often send seeds to people all over the world free of charge, and I was one such recipient of genuine Trinidad Scorpion Butch T seeds.Some of the seeds ended up in the hands of Neil Smith of the Hippy Seed Company and Marcel DeWitt of the Chilli Factory, both in Australia. Neil Smith was the man who originally named the variety Trinidad Scorpion Butch T — Butch T being short for Butch Taylor. This is a common practice used amongst chilli growers to accurately label and record data of different accessions and types. With a whopping Scoville scale rating of 1,463,700 SHU, the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T chilli held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli from March 2011 until August 2013, when it was surpassed by the Carolina Reaper.
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion was once identified by the Chile Pepper Institute (CPI) as being the hottest chilli in the world but it was never certified by the Guinness Book of World Records and it has never officially held the title. However, it did receive a lot of media attention and it often appears in internet lists of world record holders. In 2011, the Chile Pepper Institute performed a study to establish the heat levels of several high-heat chilli varieties to determine which one had the highest average measured heat level and the relatedness of the chilli peppers using molecular analysis. The analysis revealed that Trinidad Moruga Scorpion had the highest average heat level, measuring 1,207,764 SHU, with two plants being measured at over 2 million Scoville Heat Units (2,009,231 SHU and 2,006,598 SHU), making it the first ever chilli to officially surpass the 2 million Scoville mark. In February 2012, it was identified by the Chile Pepper Institute as the hottest chilli in the world and it held the title for 18 months before being replaced by the Carolina Reaper in August 2013.Carolina Reaper
The Carolina Reaper, also known as 'HP22B', was developed by American plant breeder Ed Currie, founder and owner of PuckerButt Pepper Company based in Fort Mills, South Carolina. It took 10 years to develop and is said to be a cross between a Pakistani Naga and a Red Habanero from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. With Scoville scale ratings of 1,569,300 SHU and 1,641,000 SHU, it held the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli from November 2013 until August 2023, when it was surpassed by another one of Currie's creations called Pepper X. The Carolina Reaper was tested again in 2017 and it broke its own record, with an average Scoville scale rating of 1,641,000 SHU and with peak levels measured at over 2,200,000 SHU.Dragon's Breath
The Dragon's Breath chilli was an experimental cultivar that received some brief media attention in 2017, when news articles started appearing about a small chilli that was so hot it could kill you! However, this was all hype on behalf of journalists, which is what they do best! The photo of the small chilli pepper accompanying the news articles was supposedly of an undersized fruit taken from an over-wintered plant. Photos that emerged later showed much larger fruit. The Dragon's Breath chilli was the culmination of a joint project involving NPK Technology, Mike Smith of Tom Smith Plants, based in St. Asaph, Denbighshire, North Wales, and father and son Bob and Neal Price of ChilliBobs, based in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England.It was unveiled on the Tom Smith Plants stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, England, in 2017 and the Guinness World Records were approached to have it officially verified as the world's hottest chilli, but none of it ever came to fruition. Early media reports claimed that Dragon's Breath had been developed in Wales by Mr Smith, but it later turned out that this was incorrect and that Mr Price had loaned the plant to Mr Smith several months prior. Due to the nationality of Mr Smith, the chilli was named Dragon's Breath after the Welsh dragon. It was unofficially tested and had a supposed Scoville scale rating of 2,480,000 SHU, which would have made it much hotter than the Carolina Reaper. News of the Dragon's Breath chilli may have been the reason why the Carolina Reaper was tested again in 2017, when it broke its own record with an even higher Scoville scale rating than that of its previous one from 2013.
Pepper X
Pepper X is another creation of American plant breeder Ed Currie, and in August 2023 it was crowned as the hottest chilli in the world. With an average Scoville scale rating of 2,693,000 SHU, and with peak levels measured at over 3,000,000 SHU, it currently holds the Guinness World Record title for world's hottest chilli. Aside from being a mustard coloured superhot variety not much else is really known about Pepper X because seeds have still yet to be released to the public. With Scoville scale ratings of this magnitude perhaps it's one that will always remain under lock and key and under the watchful eye of Counter Terrorism!Are Superhot Chilli Plants Difficult to Grow?
Contrary to what you might be thinking, in my opinion, the answer is — no! I've never found superhot varieties to be any more difficult to grow than other C. chinense varieties that I've grown. I treat them like I would most C. chinense varieties and they grow at the same rate and perform perfectly well. In fact, I would claim that some of the Habaneros that I've grown were trickier to grow than any of the superhot varieties I've ever grown. In some cases, I've found superhot varieties to grow like weeds and produce an abundance of fruit, Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion being two such varieties.
Given how seed vendors have been known to market superhot varieties as being somewhat exotic, I think this has led people to believe that superhots require very special growing conditions. Providing you grow them in a place where they receive lots of light (this is very important) and sufficient humidity they will perform just fine. As with most C. chinense varieties, they require a long growing season and the seeds should be sown early to ensure there is plenty of time for the fruit to reach full maturity. Like any chilli variety, when you grow it for the first time you get an understanding of what it likes and what it doesn't like. If you live in the UK then superhot varieties will grow best in a sunny greenhouse, conservatory or porch.
How Do You Cook with Superhot Chillies?
People can sometimes be nervous about using superhot chillies for the first time. Superhot chillies can be used much in the same way as Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets. The main difference is that they are much hotter and you don't need to use as much to reach the same heat level. Two or three slices of a superhot chilli can often times be the equivalent of using one whole Habanero or Scotch Bonnet. When cooking with superhot chillies the main thing to keep in mind is that they are ferociously hot. You should start by adding one or two small pieces at a time and then test the heat level after a few minutes before adding any more. Remember, you can always add more chilli but you can't take it out after adding it.
When working with superhot chillies it can be very easy to accidentally add too much and a meal that ends up being too spicy is a waste of food. Some superhot varieties are hotter than others, so you will need to factor this in also. For example, Naga Morich and Bhut Jolokia chillies are not as hot as Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chillies, both of which have been measured at over 2,000,000 SHU. You shouldn't be afraid of cooking with superhot chillies. There are no hard and fast rules stating that you have to use a whole one in anything. The best thing to do is add a few small pieces to whatever you're cooking, and once you've reached the desired heat level then just freeze the rest of the chilli for later use.
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| Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Longitudinal Cross-Section |
You can also dry them and make your own chilli flakes or chilli powder. This will give you more control over the heat. However, a little goes a very long way, so be careful! Superhot chilli flakes are particularly good when sprinkled over pizza, egg dishes and potato dishes. Contrary to what some people believe, most of the capsaicin in chillies doesn't reside in the seeds, it resides in the placenta (the pithy portion inside the fruit which holds the seeds in place). Therefore, if you wish to tame down the heat you could just use the flesh of the chilli and avoid using the placenta, but this is a bit like throwing the baby out with the bath water. If you're going to do that then you may as well just stick to growing Habaneros and Scotch Bonnets.
Are Superhot Chillies Dangerous?
Superhot chillies can't kill you unless you're allergic to them and you have an anaphylactic reaction, but the same goes for any other chilli or food allergy. The capsaicin in chillies, the chemical responsible for making them hot, binds to the body's pain receptors and then the brain releases endorphins and dopamine, which in turn gives you a sense of euphoria and well-being. The 'heat' from eating chillies is just a trick on the nervous system and no real 'burn' is ever taking place. The sense of euphoria and well-being from the release of endorphins and dopamine is what chilli-heads are addicted to, and the hotter the chillies the greater the effects. A medical doctor once told me that people with weak hearts who eat extremely hot chillies are putting a lot of stress on their system and are at greater risk of suffering from a heart attack. However, not being a medical doctor myself I have no idea how true this is.
It's true that some people have needed medical attention after consuming superhot chillies or extremely spicy foods, such as super spicy curries. The reason for this is because the effects from eating extremely spicy food can cause very painful and uncomfortable stomach cramps, something which chilli-heads refer to as cap cramps (capsaicin cramps). When you eat superhot chillies on a regular basis you become accustomed to them and build up a tolerance to the heat. It is possible for people to overdose on capsaicin, but as of writing this there are no known reported cases of capsaicin overdose in humans. At the levels used in food capsaicin is considered safe for consumption. It's estimated that it would take between 12–13 grams of capsaicin to cause an overdose in a 150lb person.
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| 7-Pot Bubblegum, Fatalii Jigsaw, Carolina Reaper and Pimenta Leopard |
How Do You Handle Superhot Chillies?
When working with superhot chillies it's always advisable to wear gloves. The capsaicin can get on your fingers very easily, and no matter how many times you wash your hands it can linger for many hours afterwards. When this happens and you accidentally touch your face, eyes, lips, ears, forehead or any other sensitive body parts, it can be a very uncomfortable experience when you're not used to it. It's also very easy to contaminate cooking utensils, such as chopping boards, plastic jugs, wooden spoons, food blenders, pots and pans, so be very careful! Although you may enjoy eating extremely spicy food, other people in your household may not, and cooking utensils contaminated with capsaicin can easily destroy a meal for those who don't like spicy food. It's advisable to have a separate chopping board just for chopping chillies. I even have my own plastic jugs which I use when making hot sauce. I forget how many roast dinners have ended up being unintentionally spicy!
It's also worth mentioning that when washing pots, pans and other cooking utensils which have been used to prepare superhot chillies or foods that contain them, the fumes can be very overpowering and will easily make you and your diners cough and sneeze. For this reason, it's advisable to rinse everything under cold running water prior to washing up, but even when rinsing them under cold running water it can sometimes have the same effect. Be careful because superhot chillies are no joke!
Finally, when grinding dehydrated chillies of any kind it's always advisable to wear some type of face covering, be it eye goggles and a dust mask or a full face respirator mask. Always grind them in a well ventilated area and away from other people. The same goes when transferring the flakes or powder into containers. Superhot chilli powder is lethal stuff and can get into the atmosphere and irritate people's eyes and respiratory systems very easily. Sometimes, it can even happen just from removing the lid on a container of superhot chilli powder. I once had a jar of Chocolate Bhut Jolokia powder on the spice rack and whenever I removed the lid people would start coughing and sneezing shortly after.