The Carolina Reaper is a superhot Capsicum chinense chilli bred in South Carolina and recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's hottest chilli from 2013 until 2023.
What it is¶
The Carolina Reaper is a Capsicum chinense chilli bred by Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The pods are red, wrinkled and knobbly, about 3–5 cm across, with a distinctive pointed tail like a scorpion's sting or a scythe, which inspired the name.
It is extraordinarily hot. In 2013 Guinness World Records recognised it as the world's hottest chilli, citing an average of about 1,569,300 SHU from tests at Winthrop University in South Carolina, with individual pods reported above 2,000,000 SHU. As with all chillies, individual fruit vary widely with growing conditions, so figures are best read as a guide. For comparison, a habanero is around 100,000–350,000 SHU and a jalapeño 2,500–8,000.
Origins and history¶
Currie has said the Reaper was developed by crossing a Pakistani Naga-type chilli with a red habanero from the Caribbean island of St Vincent, and selecting over several generations; it was grown under the code name HP22B before being named. The details come from the breeder, and independent confirmation of the parentage is limited.
Its recognition in 2013 displaced the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, the Guinness record holder since 2011. (The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, named the hottest by New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute in 2012, never held the Guinness title.) It held the record for a decade until October 2023, when Guinness recognised Pepper X, another Currie chilli, at an average reported as about 2,693,000 SHU. Meanwhile the Reaper had become a fixture of chilli-eating contests, extra-hot sauces and viral challenges. See hottest chilli records and chilli eating contests.
Flavour and aroma¶
Those who can taste past the heat describe an initial sweetness and fruitiness, sometimes with hints of cinnamon or chocolate, before the burn builds rapidly and continues for many minutes. Much of the heat sits in the thick, pale placenta and ribs, which can be visibly oily with capsaicin. In practice the Reaper is used for heat, and most cooks find a milder C. chinense like the habanero has more usable flavour.
In the kitchen¶
The Carolina Reaper is best treated as a concentrated seasoning:
- Hot sauces: most commercial Reaper sauces blend it with vinegar, fruit, garlic and milder chillies. A few drops is enough for a dish. See hot sauce.
- Powder: a tiny pinch, literally the tip of a knife, will make a large pot of chilli con carne very hot.
- Infused oil or salt: a single pod in a bottle of oil, or ground into salt, gives a controllable heat. See making chilli oil.
- Fermented mash: blended with milder chillies and salt, then fermented; see fermenting chillies.
As a guide, a quarter of a fresh Reaper may be enough for a whole pot serving six to eight.
⚠️ Protective equipment
Use nitrile gloves (latex can be permeable to capsaicin oils), avoid touching your face, and consider goggles when cutting or blending. Ventilate well: blending or frying Reapers can make a room unpleasant to breathe in. Clean every surface and tool afterwards. See handling chillies safely.
Buying and storing¶
Fresh Reapers keep for one to two weeks in the fridge and freeze well. Dried pods, flakes and powder keep for a year airtight. Label clearly, store high up away from children, and never keep Reaper powder in an unmarked jar next to paprika.
Substitutes¶
- Ghost pepper (roughly two-thirds the heat), Trinidad Scorpion or 7 Pot chillies.
- For flavour with manageable heat: habanero or Scotch bonnet, using several times as many.
- Superhot sauces, a drop at a time.
Pairs well with¶
Mango, pineapple, peach, garlic, lime, vinegar, chocolate, tomato, pork and fatty meats (fat helps to spread and soften the burn).
Growing your own¶
Reapers need a long, warm season: sow in January at 25–30°C with a heated propagator, and be patient, as germination can take several weeks. Grow in a warm greenhouse or conservatory in the UK; plants reach about 1–1.2 m. Pods ripen slowly from green to red, often from late summer into autumn. Seed from reliable suppliers matters: the Reaper can cross-pollinate with other chillies, and saved seed may not come true. Wear gloves when picking. See growing chillies and overwintering chillies.
Health and safety¶
Eating superhot chillies whole can cause severe pain, vomiting, and in rare reported cases serious harm. A published medical case report described a man who developed a severe "thunderclap" headache linked to narrowing of brain arteries after eating a Carolina Reaper at a contest. In 2023 a US teenager died after eating an extremely hot chilli-seasoned tortilla chip sold as a challenge; the medical examiner cited a large capsaicin intake alongside an underlying heart condition, and the product was withdrawn. Children, pregnant women, and anyone with heart, digestive or respiratory conditions should avoid superhot chillies. See extreme chilli risks.