A new type of chili sets the world's spiciest record

Guinness World Records recognizes Pepper

The spicy taste of Pepper X can last for hours. (Photo: USA Today).

The average spiciness of Pepper X reaches 2.69 million SHU (Scoville spiciness scale) . On the SHU scale, 0 indicates a bland taste while a regular jalapeño has a spiciness of around 5,000 SHU. For comparison, pepper spray used for self-defense reached 1.6 million SHU , Popular Science reported on October 17.

Winthrop University in South Carolina calculates the Scobille scale with samples collected over the past four years. Pepper X is yellow-green in color with many grooves and ridges along its body. According to five brave people who tried it, Pepper X tastes earthy after the hot sensation begins to subside.

This chili beat the Carolina Reaper chili's 10-year-old record of 1.64 million SHU, but both chilis were created by the same chili expert to increase the spiciness. Ed Currie is the founder of the Puckerbutt chili company. He began developing Pepper X since the Carolina Reaper pepper set its first record in 2013.

When creating a new chili variety, it takes several years for the desired characteristics to emerge through selective breeding. Hybrid peppers take about 10 generations to stabilize with predictable characteristics and consistent fruit production. Pepper His goal was to create a chili that was extremely hot but also had little sweetness. Pepper X's spiciness even makes experts like Currie wince in pain.

In addition, the "death" pepper Pepper X has an earthy taste after the hot sensation begins to subside. Pepper

"I felt the hot spicy taste for 3.5 hours. Then the cramps appeared. The cramps were terrible. I had to lean against a marble wall for about an hour in pain and moaning. moaning because of the pain ," Currie shared.

A chemical in chili peppers called capsaicin is what causes the burning sensation when eating hot peppers like the Carolina Reaper or Pepper X. Humans and other mammals perceive capsaicin as a threat when eaten. This sends stinging signals throughout the body.

Ed Currie - creator of the world's hottest chili pepper.

The burning sensation promoted in humans also releases endorphins and dopamine into the body. Currie, who put his heart and soul into growing chili peppers after quitting drugs and alcohol, sees it as a natural progression. He shares his chili peppers with medical researchers and hopes they can use them to cure diseases and help people with chronic pain or discomfort.

Currie is trying to build a hot chili sauce empire through his own company, PuckerButt. However, although he has learned many business lessons over the past decade and also attracted public attention, most of his products are not suitable for consumer tastes and are not profitable.

According to epidemiologist Paul D. Terry at the University of Tennessee, the short-term effects of eating extremely spicy foods range from enjoying the sensation of heat to a more unpleasant sting on the lips, tongue and mouth. Spicy foods also cause gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches and vomiting. Therefore, people who have experienced such effects should avoid eating it.