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Ed Currie, the South Carolina hot pepper expert who crossbred and grew the Carolina Reaper that's hotter than most pepper sprays police use to subdue unruly criminals, has broken his own world record with a pepper that's three times hotter.
Pepper X was publicly named the hottest pepper in the world on Oct. 9 by the Guinness Book of World Records, beating out the Reaper in Currie's decade-long hunt to perfect a pepper that he says provides "immediate, brutal heat."
Currie said when he first tried Pepper X, it did more than warm his heart.
"I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours. Then the cramps came," said Currie, one of only five people so far to eat a entire Pepper X. "Those cramps are horrible. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain."
Heat in peppers is measured in Scoville Heat Units. Zero is bland, and a regular jalapeno pepper registers about 5,000 units. A habanero, the record-holder about 25 years ago, typically tops 100,000. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the Carolina Reaper at 1.64 million units.
Pepper X's record is an average of 2.69 million units. By comparison, pepper spray commonly holstered by police is around 1.6 million units. Bear spray advertises at 2.2 million units.
Pepper X has been in the works since Currie last set the hottest pepper record in 2013 with the Carolina Reaper, a bright red knobby fruit with what aficionados call a scorpion tail. The goal was to offer an extremely hot pepper flavored with sweetness.
Pepper X is greenish-yellow, doesn't have the same shelf appeal and carries an earthy flavor once its heat is delivered. It's a crossbreed of a Carolina Reaper and what Currie mysteriously classifies as a "pepper that a friend of mine sent me from Michigan that was brutally hot."
The chemical in peppers that causes the burn, called capsaicin, resides in the same family as arsenic, but is much milder and not dangerous unless pounds of it are consumed. Even so, the minds of humans and other mammals perceive capsaicin as a threat and send a strong burning signal to the body. Because birds don't have the same reaction, they are able spread pepper seeds while sparing the plant.
A Pepper X pepper is shown on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in Fort Mill, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
The burning sensation spurred in humans also releases endorphins and dopamine into the body. Currie, who went all in to growing peppers after kicking drug and alcohol addictions, considers that kick a natural high. He shares his peppers with medical researchers, hoping they can use them to cure disease and help people who suffer chronic pain or discomfort.
For Currie, having the hottest pepper in the world has been a two-decade obsession. It took 10 years to get Pepper X from the first crossbreed experiment to the record, including five years of testing to prove it was a different plant with a different fruit and documenting its average heat over different plants and generations.
"We covered the genetics, we covered the chemistry, we covered the botany," he said.
Currie, who is s trying to build an empire of hot pepper sauces through his PuckerButt company, said he also learned plenty of business lessons during the past decade. While the Carolina Reaper drew much attention, much of it was not proper -- or profitable.
Currie allowed people grow the peppers without protecting his ideas. His lawyers have counted more than 10,000 products that use the Carolina Reaper name, or its other intellectual property, without permission.
Currie is protecting Pepper X. He said no seeds will be released until he is sure his children, his workers -- many of whom are on their second chances like him -- and their families can fully earn the rewards of his work.
"Everybody else made their money off the Reaper. It's time for us to reap the benefits of the hard work I do," Currie said.
That work includes dozens of fields across York County, secret greenhouses where Currie works on peppers to prevent them from being stolen and a PuckerButt store in Fort Mill where Currie works on dozens of sauce ideas that range from mild to blazing hot. He also sells his peppers to companies worldwide.
Challenges involving extremely spicy foods have made headlines after a chipmaker pulled its products following a teen's death.
Currie wants people to eat peppers and thinks they can benefit from the rush that comes after the burn. He calls most hot pepper challenges stupid and cautions pepper peekers against being overly ambitious and reaching too quickly for a Carolina Reaper or Pepper X.
"You build up a tolerance," Currie said, later hinting that more pepper heat may be bubbling up from the fields, labs and chillers that he won't let fans, reporters or even the bankers helping his business expand see.
"Is this the pinnacle?" Currie said of Pepper X, a mischievous smile warming his face. "No, it's not the pinnacle."
How can you protect your personal information and privacy? CTVNews.ca spoke to a cybersecurity expert on how to better safeguard against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
A joint investigation between the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) and Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) led to the arrest of four immigrants from Mexico who were working in Saskatchewan illegally.
Toronto police have released a new photo of a 33-year-old man they are seeking in connection with the deaths of his two female relatives.
Parks Canada says a weekend drenching of rain on parts of Jasper National Park is doing a lot to quell fire activity, but the wet weather also comes with a warning.
There were no injuries reported after a home on Montcalm Street in the Greater Sudbury community of Azilda sustained heavy damage in a fire.
Hamilton police say officers arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly brought a handgun at a festival in Hamilton where many gathered, including children, Saturday night, preventing a 'tragedy.'
Is being frugal pushing you over the edge? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains some of the downsides of obsessive frugality and offers some tips on how to balance frugal living with living your daily life.
Up against Japan to open the Pacific Nations Cup tournament, Canada faltered early. Thirty-one minutes into the game, the Brave Blossoms held a 31-0 lead.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a demonstration of new “suicide drones” and pledged to spur the development of such weapons to boost his military’s war readiness, state media said Monday.
The Hub City Radio Control Club invited the general public out to watch their RC plane demonstrations, Dozens of pilots and onlookers gathered on the tarmac to watch the planes in action.
While the festivities will look a little different this year, thousands are expected to show off their bright rainbow colours in downtown Ottawa on Sunday to celebrate the Capital's LGBTQ+ community.
Dozens of endangered baby spiny softshell turtles are being released into a southern Quebec river today as part of a project to help save the species.
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The Town of Bracebridge held a soft opening for its brand new Muskoka Lumber Community Centre Friday morning, highlighted by some NHL players participating in an open practice.
Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre are warning people about fraudsters impersonating major Canadian banks.
An infamously wholesome Canadian star is in Windsor, and is living up to his reputation.
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If there is one thing that the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is well-known for, it's the food. Here are the ones the fair dubbed worthy enough to be in its hall of fame.