Pepper X

Pepper X is a cultivar bred by Ed Currie and recognized by Guinness World Records in 2023 as the world's hottest pepper, averaging 2.693 million SHU. Developed as a crossbreed involving Carolina Reaper genetics, this extreme superhot produces bumpy, wrinkled pods that ripen to a vibrant red. The pepper's heat is reportedly intense and long-lasting, with effects persisting for several hours, making it primarily of interest to extreme heat enthusiasts and hot sauce manufacturers.

History & lineage

Pepper X was officially recognised by Guinness World Records in October 2023 as the world's hottest chilli, dethroning the Carolina Reaper after a decade-long reign. The variety averages 2.693 million SHU - more than double the Reaper's heat - and was developed by Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina, the same breeder responsible for the Reaper.

Currie spent over ten years developing Pepper X through selective breeding involving Carolina Reaper genetics and other superhot crosses. The exact lineage remains a closely guarded trade secret, with Currie publicly disclosing only that it involves a "secret pepper" parent. Seeds for Pepper X have not been released to the public; PuckerButt retains exclusive cultivation rights, and the pepper is used solely in the company's commercial hot sauces.

This controlled-release approach marks a shift in the superhot world. Where previous record holders like the Bhut Jolokia and Carolina Reaper saw their seeds spread quickly through the home grower community, Pepper X is functionally proprietary - available only as processed product. The strategy is partly commercial protection and partly safety: at over 2.6 million SHU, the pepper is genuinely hazardous to handle without proper protective equipment.

The heat profile is reportedly distinct from the Reaper - a slower, deeper burn that builds and persists for hours, rather than the Reaper's sharper, more immediate hit. Independent verification of these claims is limited given the lack of public seed availability.

Culinary uses

Primarily used in ultra-hot hot sauces and extreme heat challenges. Due to its extraordinary heat level, it requires extreme caution and is typically used in minute quantities or extracts. Not recommended for direct consumption or general cooking applications.

Growing it in the UK

Chinense is the slow one. Seed can take three weeks to germinate and wants steady warmth to do it, so sow in January or February with a heated propagator and expect to ripen the fruit under cover. Germination is given as 7-21 days. 90 days to maturity is an ordinary season here — sow in February and it will ripen without a fight.

At 90–120 cm this is a substantial plant. Give it a 10-litre pot or a greenhouse border, and stake it before the fruit sets rather than after. Yield is moderate, so a single plant is a taste and two or three are a supply.

This is superhot territory, and the handling advice is not decorative: wear gloves when cutting it, keep your hands away from your eyes for the rest of the day, and open a window before frying it — capsaicin in hot oil will clear a kitchen.

Read from this variety's own record — the figures are in the panel opposite.