Carolina-based PuckerButt Pepper Company announced its recognition by Guinness World Records as the winner of the World’s Hottest Chili title. Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper beat out former record-holder Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T.”
Grown by PuckerButt owner Ed Currie, Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper delivers an average of 1,569,300 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The SHU scale measures spiciness based on the concentration of chemical compounds called capsaicinoids. In comparison, Jalapeno peppers only have a rating of 2,500 to 8,000 SHU.
“Winning the pepper heavyweight crown validates my two decades worth of pepper perfecting and opens all kinds of new doors for the company,” said Currie, who has been flooded with seed orders, partnership pitches and even a TV show offer since the Guinness news began to break earlier this month.
A work in progress for more than a decade, Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper is described as having a fruity, sweet taste with a hint of cinnamon and chocolate undertones.
“The value of peppers goes far beyond hot sauce and salsa,” said Currie who will produce more than 15 million pepper pods this year. “I’ve always believed pepper consumption is the key to lowering health risks and, as a cancer survivor, I’m encouraged by recent studies that suggest hot peppers may have potential disease fighting qualities.”
Headquartered in Fort Mill, SC, The PuckerButt Pepper Company grows and harvests chili peppers on a family farm. The company sells all-natural pepper products including salsas, sauces, bulk mashes, jellies and mustards.
Products made with the Guinness World Record-winning Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper, including the “I Dare You Stupit” line of hot sauce, mustard and jellies as well as the Carolina Reaper Puree, are available for sale online, ranging in price from $10-$20.
Proving just how hot the topic of peppers is, this month alone, Puckerbutt Pepper Company and its founder Ed Currie have been featured on ABC’s Nightline “What Happens When You Eat A Carolina Reaper” and in The New Yorker “Fire Eaters: The Search for the Hottest Chili.”
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