The spicy “Chilli X” has been declared the world’s hottest chilli by the Guinness World Records, after tests conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina showed it had an average of 2.69 million Scoville units, surpassing the previous record-holder, the “Carolina Reaper” (1.64 million).
The Scoville scale, which measures the heat of peppers based on the concentration of capsaicin – the primary active component in spicy chillies, was developed by American chemist Wilbur Scoville in 1912. For comparison, the average jalapeno pepper scores between 3,000 and 8,000 Scoville units.
“Chilli X” is cultivated by Ed Currie, founder of the “Puckerbutt Pepper Company” in South Carolina, who also bred the former record-holder, the “Carolina Reaper”.
“Ed has been cultivating ‘Chilli X’ on his farm for over a decade, crossbreeding it with some of his spiciest peppers to increase its capsaicin content,” the Guinness World Records announced on their website.
Photo: instagram/puckerbuttpeppercompany