World’s Hottest Pepper? The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion has just been named the world’s hottest pepper by a group of experts at New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institution.

The Trinidad Morgua Scorpion topped more than 1.2 million Scoville units (he heat of a chili is measured by Scoville heat units) with some individual peppers reaching more than 2 million Scoville units. In comparison, a jalapeno pepper is rated at about 5000 heat units.

Paul Bosland, the director of the Chile Institute, said:

“You take a bite. It doesn’t seem so bad, and then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it is quite nasty.”

CBS reports that the researchers were urged by hot sauce makers and seed producers to find the world’s hottest pepper. The team took several peppers that were rumored to be among the world’s hottest peppers and ranked them. Bosland said:

“The question was, could the Chile Pepper Institute establish the benchmark for chile heat? Chile heat is a complex thing, and the industry doesn’t like to base it on just a single fruit that’s a record holder. It’s too variable.”

The team looked at five of the world’s hottest peppers. The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, the Trinidad Scorpion, the 7-pot, the Chocolate 7-pot and the Bhut Jolokia were compared by the chile institute and the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion came out the winner.

But that doesn’t mean that the other peppers are easy to swallow. The Bhut Jolokia was certified as the world’s hottest pepper by the Guinness Book of World Records and the Trinidad Scorpion, well, check out this video to see what happens when you eat the Trinidad Scorpion.