InfoSearched
Published -
- October 17, 2019
- 6:19 pm
PuckerButt Pepper Company founder Ed Currie is on a mission to create the world’s hottest peppers.
Ed is the evil genius who brought the world the Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest hot peppers in existence; but he’s not stopping there.
How is the Carolina Reaper used in different products and in medical research?
In the world of spicy food, having the world’s hottest chili pepper is something of a badge of honor. And while there are many people out there claiming to have grown the hottest peppers possible, only one man can truly make that claim: Ed Currie.
Currie is the founder of PuckerButt Pepper Company, which has been responsible for cultivating the world’s hottest pepper since 2013. At that time, the Carolina Reaper was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the hottest pepper in the world, coming in at an eye-watering 1.56 million Scoville heat units (SHU).
So how did Currie manage to create this fiery little fruit? It all started back in 2001, when he decided to give up his job as a banker and focus full-time on his passion for cultivating peppers. He began experimenting with different varieties and crossbreeding them to create unique flavors.
But it was when he stumbled upon a particular strain of pepper from Pakistan, known as the Naga Morich or Ghost Pepper, that he knew he was onto something special. This variety had a Scoville rating of around 1 million, making it one of the hottest peppers in the world at the time.
Currie began crossing the Naga Morich with other peppers, including the Trinidad Scorpion and the Bhut Jolokia, in an attempt to create a pepper that would blow them all out of the water. It took him years of trial and error, but eventually he produced the Carolina Reaper.
The name of the pepper is a nod to its shape, which resembles the scythe-like tool used for harvesting crops. But its real claim to fame is its heat – the Carolina Reaper measures in at a mind-boggling 2.2 million SHU, making it more than 40% hotter than the previous record-holder.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of super-spicy food. But for those who are, the Carolina Reaper is a true king among peppers. It’s used in a variety of products, from hot sauces to snacks, and has even been used in medical research to study pain and inflammation.
Currie’s achievement is a testament to the power of persistence and passion. He spent years experimenting and refining his methods, never giving up until he had created something truly extraordinary. And in doing so, he has become a legend among spice-lovers the world over.
