Ed Currie, the South Carolina hot pepper expert who crossbred and grew the that含羞草研究社檚 hotter than most pepper sprays police use to subdue unruly criminals, has broken his own world record with a pepper that含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 decade-long hunt to perfect a pepper that he says provides 含羞草研究社渋mmediate, brutal heat.含羞草研究社�
Currie said when he first tried Pepper X, it did more than warm his heart.
含羞草研究社淚 was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours. Then the cramps came,含羞草研究社� said Currie, one of only five people so far to eat a entire Pepper X. 含羞草研究社淭hose cramps are horrible. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 have the same shelf appeal and carries an earthy flavor once its heat is delivered. It含羞草研究社檚 a crossbreed of a Carolina Reaper and what Currie mysteriously classifies as a 含羞草研究社減epper that a friend of mine sent me from Michigan that was brutally hot.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檛 have the same reaction, they are able spread pepper seeds while sparing the plant.
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.
含羞草研究社淲e covered the genetics, we covered the chemistry, we covered the botany,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社� many of whom are on their second chances like him 含羞草研究社� and their families can fully earn the rewards of his work.
含羞草研究社淓verybody else made their money off the Reaper. It含羞草研究社檚 time for us to reap the benefits of the hard work I do,含羞草研究社� 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 following a teen含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淵ou build up a tolerance,含羞草研究社� Currie said, later hinting that more pepper heat may be bubbling up from the fields, labs and chillers that he won含羞草研究社檛 let fans, reporters or even the bankers helping his business expand see.
含羞草研究社淚s this the pinnacle?含羞草研究社� Currie said of Pepper X, a mischievous smile warming his face. 含羞草研究社淣o, it含羞草研究社檚 not the pinnacle.含羞草研究社�
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