The farmer set a new record for the hotness of peppers (3 photos + 1 video)

Farmer Ed Curry created a new variety of chili pepper, Pepper X, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the hottest in the world. The pepper has a heat rating of 2.69 million Scoville units, while the previous record holder, the Carolina Reaper variety, has a heat rating of 1.6 million. The farmer brought his creation to the famous YouTube show and treated fans of hot peppers.





Pepper X chili pepper, bred by chili pepper breeder Ed Curry, is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the hottest pepper in the world. Pepper X scored 2,693,000 on the Scoville scale, which measures the heat of peppers. It turned out to be much hotter than the famous Carolina Reaper pepper (1,640,000 points), also created by Curry.



Curry bred Pepper X through 10 years of selective breeding, crossing plants with the hottest flavor profiles, and then patiently waiting for the hybrids to stabilize. The breeder debuted his creation on TV show Hot Ones, which features host Shaun Evans trying out star-studded chicken wings and hot sauces. Together with the chili lovers and the presenter, the farmer ate a whole serving of Pepper X.

"This cruel thing, it somehow makes it look like the skin on my face is getting tighter," said host Sean Evans.

The active compound in chili peppers that gives it its “hot” flavor is capsaicin. Plants have evolved the ability to produce this compound to repel animals. However, humans have developed a taste for capsaicin, and when consumed in the right quantities, they experience a rush of endorphins. It is believed that the most capsaicin is found in the seeds of chili peppers, but it is most abundant in the placental tissue in which the seeds are located. It is also found in high concentration in the thin film covering the inside of the pepper.

The Scoville scale is essentially a measurement of capsaicin concentration. To determine the spiciness of pepper, a solution of pepper extract is diluted in water with sugar and then tasted. The extract is diluted until the pungency in the diluted solution is no longer felt.



For example, a pepper with a Scoville strength of 1,000 means its extract must be diluted 1,000 times before the heat is no longer noticeable. For comparison, bell peppers have a 0 on the Scoville scale, jalapenos range from 3,000 to 8,000, and cayenne peppers range from 30,000 to 60,000. Pepper X is hotter than even many pepper sprays, which typically contain 2 to 3 million heat units. .