“Please don’t try this at homewe are fully trained idiots.”
The Wall Street Journal’s Spencer Jakab recently researched the zany world of those on a quest to eat ever hotter peppers, where no hot pepper grower holds a record for the hottest pepper for very long.
The standard scale for heat or hotness of a chilli pepper is measured in Scoville Heat Units, named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville.
The number of Scoville heat units indicates the amount of capsaicin present — a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.
Based on information gleaned from Jakab’s research, we listed seven (official and unofficial) of the hottest peppers on planet Earth.
7) Habanero and Scotch Bonnet
350,000 Scovilles
Until the early 1990s, only two peppers had reached the 350,000 Scoville mark — the Habanero and the Scotch Bonnet.
6) Red Savina Habanero
570,000 Scovilles
A hybrid variety called the Red Savina Habanero claimed the Guinness crown in 1994 with 570,000 Scovilles. That was believed to be about the upper limit of hotness for more than a decade.
5) The Naga Viper
1.382 million Scovilles
Developed by grower Gerald Fowler. According to the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records, the Naga Viper was the hottest pepper ever grown, measuring 1.382 million Scoville Heat Units, the standard measure of heat. That is 225 times as hot as a jalapeño. The Naga itself had just surpassed the Infinity Chili, which held the official record for a mere eight months.
4) Trinidad Scorpion Butch T
1.464 million Scovilles
The Naga was dethroned in the same year (2010) by the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, the current record holder, at 1.464 million Scovilles. The Naga itself had just surpassed the Infinity Chili, which held the official record for a mere eight months.
3) Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
2 million Scovilles
Paul Bosland, head of New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute, claims to have broken the two million Scoville mark in February 2012 with his Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. That is the same strength as police-grade pepper spray — a substance no sensible person would let travel through his digestive tract. Mr. Bosland hasn’t yet submitted paperwork to Guinness for the official record.
2) Psycho Serum
6.4 million Scovilles
Nick Moore, proprietor of Dr. Burnörium’s Hot Sauce Emporium in Bristol, is about to launch one called Psycho Serum weighing in at a scorching 6.4 million Scovilles.
1) Blair’s 16 Million Reserve
16 million Scovilles
The undisputed king of the hot sauce world though is Blair Lazar, a New Jersey entrepreneur who achieved a Guinness record of 16 million Scovillesthe scientific maximum. He required customers to sign a waiver before buying his “Blair’s 16 Million Reserve.” It consists of individual crystals of pure capsaicin produced in a laboratory.
Chilli World
Chilli World stocks a huge selection of hot sauce from around the world and lists them along with each brand’s Scoville Heat Unit rating.
Scoville Heat Units/ Hot Sauce or Chilli Pepper
16,000,000 Pure capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin
16,000,000 Blair’s 16 Million Reserve, from Gardner Resources, Inc.
16,000,000 Blair’s 6 A.M., from Gardner Resources, Inc.
13,500,000 Blair’s 2005 Halloween Reserve from Gardner Resources Inc.
9,100,000 Nordihydrocapsaicin
8,600,000 Homodihydrocapsaicin and Homocapsaicin
7,100,000 The Source, from Original Juan Specialty Foods
5,500,000 Blair’s 5 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc. – No Longer available
5,300,000 Police grade Pepper spray
4,000,000 Mad Dog 44 Magnum Pepper Extract, from Ashley Food Company, Inc.
4,000,000 Blair’s 4 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc. – No Longer available
2,000,000 Common Pepper spray
1,500,000 – 2,000,000 Blair’s 3 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc.
1,500,000 Da’ Bomb The Final Answer, from Original Juan Specialty Food
1,100,000 Blair’s Jersey Death from Gardner Resources Inc.
1,001,304 Naga-Bih Jolokia pepper
1,000,000 Cool Million Pepper Extract, from the Poison Pepper Co.
1,000,000 1 Million Scoville Pepper Extract, from Ashley Food Company, Inc.
923,000 The Dorset Naga Pepper, from Peppers by Post
855,000 (reported) The Naga Jolokia pepper (Capsicum frutescens), not confirmed
800,000 Satan’s Blood, from Sauce Crafters Inc.
700,000 The Slap Heard Around the World, from Tiguana Flats
600,000 – 900,000 Blair’s 2 A.M., from Gardner Resources, Inc.
600,000 Mad Dog 357 with Bullet Keychain, from Ashley Food Company
550,000 Blair’s Mega Death Sauce, from Gardner Resources, Inc.
500,000 – 750,000 Dave’s Insanity Private Reserve, from Dave’s Gourmet (estimated)
500,000 Pure Cap, from Garden Row Foods
400,000 – 500,000 Spontaneous Combustion Powder, from Southwest Specialty Foods Inc.
357,000 Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce, from Ashley Food Company
350,000 – 577,000 Red Savina habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacquin)
350,000 Marie Sharp’s Belizian Heat, from Marie Sharp’s Fine Foods, Ltd.
283,000 Blair’s Possible Side Effects, from Gardner Resources, Inc.
250,000 Vicious Viper, from CaJohns Fiery Foods
250,000 Dave’s Ultimate Insanity Sauce, from Dave’s Gourmet (estimated)
234,000 Da’ Bomb Ground Zero, from Original Juan Specialty Foods
225,000 You can’t Handle this Hot Sauce, from Peppers
225,000 Not Cool Chocolate Habanero from Bahama Specialty Foods, Inc.
180,000 Dave’s Insanity Sauce, from Dave’s Gourmet (estimated)
175,000 Predator Great White Shark, from Peppers
150,000 Mad Dog Inferno Reserve, from Ashley Food Company
125,000 Crazy Jerry’s Mustard Gas, from Crazy Jerry’s, Inc.
119,700 Da’ Bomb Beyond Insanity, from Original Juan Specialty Food
100,000 – 350,000 Habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacquin)
100,000 – 325,000 Scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense)
100,000 – 225,000 Birds Eye pepper
100,000 – 200,000 Jamaican Hot pepper
100,000 – 125,000 Carolina Cayenne pepper
95,000 – 110,000 Bahamian pepper
90,000 Mad Dog Inferno, from Ashley Food Company
85,000 – 115,000 Tabiche pepper
75,000 – 80,000 Red Amazon Pepper
75,000 Chile-Today Red Amazon Powder, from Chile Today-Hot Tamale
50,000 – 100,000 Thai pepper (Capsicum annuum)
50,000 – 100,000 Chiltepin pepper
49,250 Blair’s After Death Sauce, from Gardner Resources, Inc.
40,000 – 58,000 Piquin pepper
40,000 – 50,000 Super Chile pepper
40,000 – 50,000 Santaka pepper
33,390 Endorphin Rush Beyond Hot Sauce, from Garden Row Foods
30,000 – 49,999 Lottie’s Original Barbados Red Hot, from Lottie’s Island Flavours
30,000 – 50,000 Cayenne pepper (Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum frutescens)
30,000 – 50,000 Tabasco pepper (Capsicum frutescens)
15,000 – 30,000 de Arbol pepper
15,000 – 29,999 Lottie’s Traditional Barbados Yellow, from Lottie’s Island Flavours
12,000 – 30,000 Manzano pepper
11,600 El Yucateco XXXtra Hot Habanero, from El Yucateco Salsas Y Condimentos S.A. de C.V.
11,000 Crazy Jerry’s Brain Damage, from Crazy Jerry’s, Inc.
8,910 El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero, from El Yucateco Salsas Y Condimentos S.A. de C.V.
7,000 – 8,000 TABASCO® brand Habanero Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company
6,000 – 23,000 Serrano pepper
5,790 El Yucateco Red Chile Habanero, from El Yucateco Salsas Y Condimentos S.A. de C.V.
5,000 – 10,000 Hot Wax pepper
5,000 Р10,000 Chipotle, a Jalape̱o pepper that has been smoked.
3,600 Cholula Hot Sauce, from Casa Cuervo S.A. de C.V.
3,400 El Yucateco Chipotle Hot Sauce, from El Yucateco Salsas Y Condimentos S.A. de C.V.
2,500 – 8,000 Santaka pepper
2,500 Р5,000 Jalape̱o (Capsicum annuum)
2,500 – 5,000 Guajilla pepper
2,500 – 5,000 Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company
2.085 FRANK’S® REDHOT® XTRA Hot, from Reckitt Benckiser Inc.
1,500 – 2,500 TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company
1,200 – 2,400 TABASCO® brand Garlic Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company
1,500 – 2,500 Rocotilla pepper
1,000 – 2,000 pasilla pepper
1,000 – 2,000 Ancho pepper
1,000 – 2,000 Poblano pepper
747 Texas Pete®, from T.W. Garner Food Co.
700 – 1,000 Coronado pepper
600 – 1,200 TABASCO® brand Green Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company
500 – 2,500 Anaheim pepper
500 – 1,000 New Mexico pepper
450 FRANK’S® REDHOT® Original, from Reckitt Benckiser Inc.
400 – 700 Santa Fe Grande pepper
100 – 1000 Cubanelle Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
100 – 600 TABASCO® brand SWEET & Spicy Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company
100 – 500 Pepperoncini, pepper (also known as Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers, and golden Greek peppers.
100 – 500 Pimento
0 Sweet Bell pepper