What's the world's hottest chili pepper? You might think it's the Carolina Reaper, but there's actually a new hottest pepper now. It's called the Dragon's Breath Chili, and it is not to be taken lightly.
According to Foodbeast, the pepper was developed by Mike Smith and Nottingham University in the U.K. The team is hoping for a confirmation letter from Guinness World Records for recognition that this is, indeed, the world's hottest pepper. No one knows how it tastes yet, because there's a fear that it could actually kill you. It is kept in a container so that no one touches it, since it numbs the skin. This does not sound like something I'd want to mess with.
It's just a tiny little pepper, so it's kind of crazy to think about how big of a punch it actually packs. Daily Post reports that it could potentially cause a type of anaphylactic shock if someone eats it. It could burn the airways and close them up. To put this into perspective, consider how intolerable pepper spray is. Pepper spray measures up to a 2 on the Scoville heat-unit scale, and the Dragon's Breath pepper measures up to a 2.48. No thank you!
Smith, who's used to growing chilis and other vegetables said he tried putting the pepper on the tip of his tongue and then spat it out very quickly. The heat intensity just grew, and it burned and burned … so what's the point of having a pepper this hot if you can't eat it?
It was actually developed for medical purposes. Smith said, “This was developed because a lot of people are allergic to anaesthetic, and this can be applied to the skin because it is so strong it numbs it.”
The pepper's oils could also be used as an anaesthetic in developing countries, where these types of medicine aren't readily available. Good thinking!
For those who are interested in taking a look at the chili curiosity, it will be on display in Wales at the Chelsea Flower Show between May 23 and May 27. Take a peek, but definitely don't ask to taste it.