The Carolina Reaper Is No Longer The Hottest Pepper In The World
On October 9th, a new pepper called Pepper X took the Guinness World Record for hottest pepper in the world. This means that the Carolina Reaper is officially no longer the hottest pepper in the world according to WCNC Charlotte..
Ed Currie is a South Carolina resident who is an expert when it comes to growing and crossbreeding hot peppers. Through crossbreeding he created the Carolina Reaper, a pepper that is hotter than most pepper sprays used by police. However, recently he outdid himself by breaking his own Guinness World Record. He did this with a pepper three time hotter than the Carolina Reaper.
Pepper X beat the Carolina Reaper and put an end to Currie’s decade-long hunt to produce a pepper that provides “immediate, brutal heat.”
Currie says that when he first tried the pepper it caused heat that lasted over three hours. Curries said that after the heat ended, “the cramps came, those cramps are horrible. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain.”
Currie is currently one of five people in the world to eat the pepper.
The Scoville Heat Units is used to measure the amount of heat in a pepper. On this scale, a pepper without heat is a zero, a jalapeno is around 5,000 units, and a habanero is about 100,000.
The Carolina Reaper smashed this scale when it was measured at 1.64 million units. However, the Carolina Reapers heat is nothing in comparison to the 2.69 million units that Pepper X was measured at. Even bear spray, a large step up from police spray, is only 2.2 million units.
Beyond Pumpkin Spice: 8 Other Fall Flavors That Steal The Show
Fall seems to arrive earlier every year. Coffee shops like Starbucks now introduce their autumn-themed drinks as early as August, and stores swiftly stock their shelves with Halloween decorations.
When we think of fall flavors, pumpkin spice often comes to mind. Many of us are aware that pumpkin spice isn’t actually derived from pumpkins. A pumpkin is a squash that has a distinct taste far from the combination of cinnamon and syrup. Pumpkin spice is just a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
While this spice blend lends its flavor to a wide range of products, including lattes, cereal, pretzels, donuts, gum, and more, it’s worth mentioning that not all people prefer it. In fact, there exists a Reddit thread specifically devoted to discussing the dislike of pumpkin spice-flavored items. A commenter expressed, “I’m in the hate pumpkin spice camp as well. It absolutely takes over the dairy aisle in the stores to the point of not carrying my usual products.” Another Redditor added their thoughts with, “Every season they hardcore promote pumpkin spice everything to kick off fall, and I hate it. It doesn’t even smell that good.”
Besides the popular pumpkin spice latte, there’s a wide variety of seasonal ingredients that contribute to the special taste of autumn, whether you’re preparing your own homemade treats or enjoying comforting dishes. These flavors range from the components in traditional apple pie recipes to the aromatic spices found in typical autumn soups, all representing the essence of the season’s most cherished foods. Who knows, maybe down the road, we’ll be as crazy about apples or cinnamon as we are about pumpkin spice.
If you’re looking to step away from the pumpkin spice trend or simply want to savor a wider range of fall flavors, take a peek at these other flavors that scream “autumn.”
Country 103.7’s funniest guy in town is none other than Rob Tanner with Tanner in the Morning! Rob Tanner has been the host of WSOC-FM's Tanner in the Morning Show in Charlotte, NC for 20 years. The show was named the 2018 ACM Major Market Personalities of the Year. He is well-versed in all topics in country music. Tanner also is a sports junkie who writes about any Carolina sports team, and he and his wife Missy spend most of their down exploring theme parks. He writes Disney insider content.