Red hot chili peppers come in all sizes, shapes, and levels of hotness. The pepper’s level of SHU (Scoville Heat Units) is what determines just how hot it is.
(Photo Attributed to Author httpwww.flickr.comphotoscalliope)
In this article we will list the Top 5 Hottest Red Chili Peppers, and what their characteristics are. Starting with the least hot of the very hottest, up to the most savagely torrid pepper on the planet.
The 5th Hottest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is-
The Trinidad Butch T Scorpion
Up until 2011, this torrid pepper was the record holder for hottest pepper in the world, according to the Guiness Book of World Records. It is from Australia, where it was bred by Mr. Butch Taylor. It has now dropped down to 5th hottest, but believe me, it still has to be a scorching hot chili. This one I have not tried yet, but cooks’ reviews say that it is also loaded with a distinctive and pleasant flavor.
Get some of these peppers here.
The 4th Hottest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is-
The 7 Pot Primo
Created by horticulturist, Troy Primeaux, the 7 Pot Primo is distinguishable from other similar small hot red peppers by its distinctive skinny, long tail. Peppers cultivators tend to admire the demonic look of its tail, and many try to duplicate a similar look in their breeding practices.
You don’t have to bite into one of these to tell it is stupid insane hot – just looking at it can scare your palate!
Get a live 7 Pot Primo plant here.
The 3rd Hottest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is-
The Trinidad Douglah
The Trinidad Doughlah (also sometimes called the “7 Pot Doughlah) is not only respected as one of the hottest peppers in the world, chefs revere it for its remarkable, tasty flavor. It blends in well with other, milder ingredients, and is a good choice for many a hot & spicy dish. Other names for this hellishly hot chili are “Chocolate 7 Pod” and “the 7 Pot Brown”.
Get a live 7 Pot Doughla plant here.
The 2nd Hottest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is-
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
(Photo Attributed to Author: Hankwang)
This pepper was recently “discovered” and brought to chefs’ attentions worldwide not too long ago. It is indigenous to Tobago and Trinidad. Also called the “Moruga Scorpion”, it is quite rare and sought after by spicy-hot culinary specialist chefs. It has its own unique flavor, and it has a “creeper” effect. The heat doesn’t present itself to the palate fully right away. But don’t be fooled. Once those oils have landed on your palate, the heat starts building and building and seems to never stop. So go easy, eat slow, and make sure you’ve not overdone it!
And, finally, the Hottest of all Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Entire World!
The Carolina Reaper!
According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the Carolina Reaper is now officially the Worlds Hottest Pepper. It is a product of breeding for heat, a cross between a Red Habanero and a Pakastani Naga. Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, this little baby packs a wallop like no other hot pepper. It has an average SHU of well over 1.5 million, all the way up to 2.2 million!
To put that in perspective, think about the jalapeno pepper. Most people consider the jalapeno to be a very hot pepper. And it is, to be sure. Well, the SHU average in a jalapeno is 2,500, and the hottest jalapenos may get as high as 10,000. Do the math:
The average Carolina Reaper is six hundred times hotter than the already very hot jalapeno!
This pepper even looks mean, doesn’t it? Like some horned little devil ready to stab your tongue. The Carolina Reaper is not just the most fiendishly hottest pepper, however. It also is very flavorful. Just exercise restraint the first time you use it in your kitchen. A tiny bit goes a long way, and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after chopping and handling it. If you swipe at your eyes and/or forehead with the sizzling oils of this pepper on your hand, you are in for feverish, blinding experience!
Want to try some Carolina Reapers? Get some here, on our online food store.
So there you have it, the Top 5 Hottest red peppers in our known galaxy. Please leave a comment before you go. Have you had any experience with any of these peppers? If so, share with us. If not yet, would you now consider trying some in the next super spicy dish you prepare?
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Oh my god….wow! I genuinely think I’d die if I tried one of those… chicken korma is as hot as I can handle…haha!
Is it true that you have to wear gloves in order to handle some of the hottest chillies in the world? Apparently you can get burns on your skin!
Demi, thanks for the comment. And yes, I would definitely wear gloves when handling some of these most hot peppers in the world.
Wow, I think my mouth was watering just reading this. I can not even imagine a pepper that is 600 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper! If you could die from spiciness a plate of those would certainly do the trick! Do you know the SHU of the other peppers?
Matt, I agree, a whole plate of Reapers could be fatal, lol. I know the 5th hottest one, the Trinidad Butch T Scorpion, is up in the 500,000 SHU range, so the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd hottest have to be higher than that.
Nooooooooooo, no way!!! My tongue would swell up and want to jump out of my throat! LOL!
But I did enjoy the post. Amazing how these horticulturalists can produce such intensely hot peppers for hot foods lovers, huh?
Hahahahaa, you crack me up, Barbara. 🙂 And yes, they not only work at producing the hottest chilis possible, also the meanest looking!
I fancy myself a bit of a hot & spicy gourmet home chef. I’ve tried all of these but the Carolina Reaper. Actually I’d never heard of it before reading this. Thanks for the tip, I’m definitely going to try some in a dish.
Hey good for you, Jack! My bet is, I would love your cooking, dude! Please come back and share your experience cooking with the Reaper, okay?
Ok, I will do just that, Marv. And thanks for the link, I’ve never seen the Reaper in any local stores, so I just ordered some from your store.
Awesome sauce. 🙂 And thanks for the order, dude.
Really enjoyed the article, very informative and impressive. BUT! No thank you, I couldn’t take that kind of heat, lol. For me? Just a tinch of jalapeno is spicy hot enough!
Each to his own, though ….. I’m sure there a many hot foods lovers who will eat these right up, hahahaha
Hey no worries, Margo – lots of people get off the hot chili wagon at the jalapeno level, lol. Me, I’m a hot & spicy nut, so I enjoy dabbling with these kinds of super-duper peppers. Good to see you back again, and thanks for the comment!
WOW! Six hundred times hotter than a jalapeno?! The hottest pepper I’ve ever tried was the habanero, and its was RIDICULOUS hot. I do love hot and spicy, though. I would try one of those Carolina Reapers just to be able to say I’ve tasted the hottest pepper in the world, lol.
Hey Ben, good to see you back. Yes, the Habanero is an incredibly hot chili. But these 5 are even hotter, trust me.