Naga Viper pepper

The Naga Viper pepper was the official holder of the Guinness World Records "World's Hottest Chilli" record as of February 25, 2011.^[1] The Naga Viper pepper, with its rating of 1,382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), beat the previous record holder, the Infinity Chilli.^[2] The pepper's record has been exceeded by the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper, and verified by Guinness World Records as of March 1, 2011. In comparison, a jalapeño pepper measures between 2,500 and 8,000 SHU on the same scale.

Origin

The Naga Viper was created in England by chilli farmer Gerald Fowler of The Chilli Pepper Company, based in Cark, Cumbria.^[3] It is an unstable three-way hybrid produced from the Naga Morich, the Bhut Jolokia and the Trinidad Scorpion (some of the world's hottest peppers).^[4] Due to its hybrid nature, it is unable to produce offspring exactly like the parent due to segregation of alleles and therefore traits. The Chilli Pepper Company is continuing its work to stabilize the variety.

References

1. ^ "Hottest Chilli". Guinness World Records. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Hottest-chili/49118.htm. Retrieved February 26, 2011. 
2. ^ "Title of world's hottest chili pepper stolen - again". The Independent. February 25, 2011. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/title-of-worlds-hottest-chili-pepper-stolen--again-2225925.html. Retrieved February 27, 2011. 
3. ^ "Hottest chilli in the world". North West Evening Mail. February 25, 2011. http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/hottest-chilli-in-the-world-it-s-official-1.812499. Retrieved February 26, 2011. 
4. ^ "New Record Chilli – Naga Viper chilli – 1,349,000 SHU’s". The Chilli Foundry. October 16, 2010. http://www.chilefoundry.co.uk/2010/10/16/new-record-chilli-trinidad-viper-chilli-1349000-shus/. Retrieved February 20, 2011. 

External Links

• University of Warwick Response to Naga Viper Testing