US Chili Expert Develops 'Pepper X'
Dedicated 20 Years to Spicy Variety Improvement
"Collapsed in Convulsions Immediately After Eating"
An American chili pepper expert who has devoted 20 years to breeding for the spiciest flavor has succeeded in registering 'Pepper X' as the world's hottest chili pepper in the Guinness World Records.
According to the AP News and The Guardian on the 17th (local time), Pepper X, a new chili pepper developed by Ed Curry from South Carolina, USA, has surpassed the previous hottest chili pepper, the 'Carolina Reaper,' to become the world's hottest chili pepper. The existing Carolina Reaper was also a variety created by Curry, meaning he broke his own record set 10 years ago.
An American chili pepper expert who has devoted 20 years to breeding for the spiciest flavor has succeeded in registering 'Pepper X' as the world's hottest chili pepper in the Guinness World Records. [Photo by Guinness World Records]
The newly developed Pepper X has a yellow-green color and is characterized by an earthy flavor that intensifies the more you chew. Its Scoville Heat Unit (SHU), which measures spiciness, is known to exceed 2.69 million.
In comparison, the Carolina Reaper has a Scoville rating of 1.64 million. Korea's representative spicy ramen, Buldak Bokkeummyeon, has a Scoville rating of 4,400, and Tteumsae Ramen has 9,400.
Cramping and Over 3 Hours of Stomach Pain Immediately After Eating
The newly developed Pepper X has a yellow-green color and is characterized by an earthy smell that intensifies the more you chew it. Its Scoville Heat Unit (SHU), which measures spiciness, is known to exceed 2.69 million. [Photo by Guinness World Records]
Curry said that when he first tasted Pepper X, it was "more than just warming the heart." In particular, after eating a whole Pepper X, the heat in his body lasted for more than three and a half hours, followed by cramps. He described it as "a terrible cramp" and said, "I groaned in pain and lay flat on a marble floor in the rain for an hour and a half."
Curry stated, "People have tried to steal the Carolina Reaper over the past 10 years. Some of them were large corporations," and added, "I will not disclose the pods and chili seeds of Pepper X."
Based on his past experience, he plans to obtain intellectual property rights to protect Pepper X more strongly. Regarding Pepper X's Guinness World Record registration, he said, "All the time and effort spent on the farm to make it the world's hottest chili pepper have now been validated," and added, "I cannot express in words how excited I am right now."
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