The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is a superhot Capsicum chinense chilli from Moruga, Trinidad, named the world's hottest by New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute in 2012.
What it is¶
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is a Capsicum chinense chilli from the Moruga district on the south coast of Trinidad. The pods are about 5 cm across, bumpy and wrinkled, ripening from green to bright red (yellow and chocolate strains also exist), and many carry a small pointed tail at the tip, like a scorpion's sting, which gives the "scorpion" chillies their name.
It is one of the hottest chillies ever tested. In 2012 researchers at New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute reported a mean of about 1.2 million SHU across the plants tested, with the hottest individual pods at around 2 million SHU. As with every superhot, heat varies enormously from pod to pod, plant to plant and season to season: a Moruga Scorpion grown in a cool British summer will probably not match those figures.
Origins and history¶
Trinidad has a long tradition of very hot local chillies, the "Scorpion" and 7 Pot types among them, grown in the island's villages for generations and little known abroad until the superhot boom of the late 2000s.
In February 2012 the Chile Pepper Institute announced that the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion was the hottest chilli it had tested, based on field trials of several superhot varieties grown from Trinidadian seed. The announcement, and the reported figure of around 2 million SHU for the hottest pods, made headlines worldwide. It was a scientific finding rather than a Guinness World Record: the Guinness title at the time was held by another Trinidad type, the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, which had been recognised in 2011.
The Moruga Scorpion's reign as the hottest reported chilli was short. In 2013 Guinness recognised the Carolina Reaper, which was followed in 2023 by Pepper X. See hottest chilli records, where the reliability of all these figures is discussed.
Flavour and aroma¶
Those who can taste it describe a brief sweetness and a fruity, almost floral flavour, and then heat that builds rapidly and keeps climbing for several minutes, spreading through the mouth, lips and throat. The burn lasts a long time, often twenty to thirty minutes. Its fruitiness is appreciated most in sauces, where the heat is diluted and the aroma survives.
In the kitchen¶
Use the Moruga Scorpion as an extreme seasoning, by the sliver or the drop.
- Hot sauces: most Moruga Scorpion sauces blend a small amount with vinegar, fruit such as mango or pineapple, garlic and milder chillies. A few drops is enough for a plate. See hot sauce and fermenting chillies.
- Trinidadian pepper sauce: in the island's style, with vinegar, lime, garlic, culantro and mustard, it makes a sauce to be used a drop at a time. See caribbean cuisine.
- Stews and curries: a whole, unbroken pod simmered for 15–20 minutes in a large pot and then removed gives a strong heat without the risk of a stray fragment.
- Chilli oil and salt: infuse one pod in a bottle of oil, or dry and grind into salt, for heat that can be measured. See making chilli oil.
As a guide, a sliver the size of a grain of rice to a pea is enough to make a dish for four noticeably hot. Taste before adding more.
⚠️ Protective equipment
Wear nitrile gloves and eye protection when cutting or blending, and ventilate well. Use a dedicated chopping board if you can, and wash everything thoroughly afterwards. See handling chillies safely.
Buying and storing¶
Fresh pods keep for one to two weeks in the fridge and freeze well. Dried pods and powder keep for a year airtight. Label clearly, store high up away from children, and never keep superhot powder in an unmarked jar alongside ordinary chilli powder or paprika.
Substitutes¶
- 7 Pot types or other Trinidad Scorpions: similar heat and fruitiness.
- Carolina Reaper: similar heat range.
- Ghost pepper or Dorset naga: somewhat milder.
- For flavour with manageable heat: Scotch bonnet or habanero, using several times as many.
Pairs well with¶
Mango, pineapple, papaya, lime, vinegar, garlic, culantro, thyme, allspice, tomato, chocolate, pork, chicken and fatty meats.
Growing your own¶
Moruga Scorpions need a long, hot season and plenty of patience. Sow in January at 25–30°C in a heated propagator; germination can take two to six weeks. Grow on in a warm greenhouse or conservatory in Britain; plants reach about 90–120 cm. Pods ripen late, often from late summer into autumn, and are hottest from warm, sunny, slightly dry conditions. Feed with high-potash fertiliser once flowering and keep night temperatures above about 15°C where possible. Buy seed from a reputable supplier, as superhots cross readily and saved seed may not come true. Plants can be overwintered for an earlier, heavier crop. Wear gloves when picking. See growing chillies and overwintering chillies.
Health and safety¶
The Moruga Scorpion is capable of causing severe pain, vomiting, stomach cramps and breathing difficulty, and superhot chillies have been linked in rare reported cases to more serious harm, especially when eaten whole in challenges. Children, pregnant women and anyone with heart, digestive or respiratory conditions should avoid eating them.
- Gloves: nitrile gloves whenever handling pods, fresh or dried; the oils soak into skin and burn for hours.
- Eyes: goggles or glasses when cutting, blending or grinding. If juice gets into an eye, rinse with plenty of cool water and seek medical advice if pain persists.
- Ventilation: open windows and use the extractor; blending, frying or drying superhots releases capsaicin into the air and causes coughing.
Milk, yoghurt and fatty foods help to ease the burn; water tends to spread it. See handling chillies safely, extreme chilli risks and chilli eating contests.