'Pepper X': Carolina Reaper inventor releases new world's hottest pepper that's 3x hotter — leaves him 'groaning in pain' for hours

The pepper breeder who first grew the Carolina Reaper, the world's hottest pepper, has smashed his own heat ceiling with new record-holder dubbed Pepper X.

Ed Currie was given the Guinness Book of World Records title of hottest pepper in the world on October 9, 2023, defeating his own previous record with the Carolina Reaper.

The former record was measured at 1.64 million Scoville heat units, which measure the heat in peppers. Pepper X however clocks in at 2.693 million units. The special logarithmic scale used for measurement means that Pepper X is actually three times hotter than the previous record holder.

Currie described his discomfort upon trying the pepper for the first time:

“I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours. Then the cramps came,” Currie said. “Those cramps are horrible. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain.”

According to Yahoo! News, Currie was one of only five people so far to eat a entire Pepper X, but it is unclear whether that number included pepper expert Chili Klaus, who ate one on the hit show "Hot Ones."

"Did you do that, did you invent that pepper?" Klaus asked Currie after trying the pepper.

"Yes," Currie replied.

"Why?" Klaus asked while in visible pain.

In comparison, commonly used pepper spray is estimated at 1.6 million Scoville units while bear mace is often seen at 2.2 million units.

The chemical in peppers that causes a burn is called capsaicin and is not truly dangerous unless it is consumed by the pound, Yahoo! reported. The human brain perceives the chemical as a threat however, and induces a burning signal with endorphins and dopamine. This is why such peppers can create hallucinations and sickness.

The record comes 10 years in the making since the Carolina Reaper took the top spot in 2013, with Pepper X taking five years just in the testing phase to prove the plant was different from the reaper.

“We covered the genetics, we covered the chemistry, we covered the botany,” Currie said.

Some of the inspiration comes from the Carolina Reaper brand being used in excess without Currie's consent, resulting in untold numbers of dollars slipping through his grasp.

Currie's lawyers have allegedly counted more than 10,000 products using the Carolina Reaper name or intellectual property.

“Everybody else made their money off the Reaper. It’s time for us to reap the benefits of the hard work I do,” Currie said about Pepper X.

When asked if things could get any hotter, Currie responded by rhetorically asking, “Is this the pinnacle?” before smiling and adding “No, it’s not the pinnacle.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!