Carolina Reaper Pepper
If you think you can handle the heat, meet the Carolina Reaper, officially one of the hottest peppers on Earth. This infamous chili regularly measures over 1,400,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) and can reach a blazing 2,200,000 SHU—hundreds of times hotter than a Jalapeño. If that sounds wild, it is!
The Carolina Reaper was bred in South Carolina by Ed Currie, who crossed a Pakistani Naga pepper with a Red Habanero. The result? A gnarled, bright red pod with a devilish scorpion-like tail and a fruity, slightly sweet flavor that’s as deceptive as it is intense.
While you might think the Carolina Reaper is all about shock value, it actually has culinary uses too. Just a tiny sliver can fire up big batches of chili, barbecue sauces, or hot pepper jams. Some brave hot sauce makers bottle its searing power for fans of extreme heat. But take caution—this pepper is so potent you should wear gloves and even goggles when handling it.
On the Scoville Scale, the Carolina Reaper eclipses other heavy hitters like the Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) and the Habanero. For reference, a Cayenne pepper hovers around 30,000–50,000 SHU—a mere flicker compared to the Reaper’s flame.
If you’re growing Carolina Reapers, give them warm weather, plenty of sunlight, and space to thrive. They grow as small bushes and can produce dozens of peppers per plant. Just remember: harvesting requires respect for their intensity.
Whether you love pepper challenges, craft hot sauces, or just want to say you survived the world’s hottest chili, the Carolina Reaper is an unforgettable experience for any adventurous eater.
