Reader Bryn S. from Wales e-mailed me with a link to this report. Thanks, Bryn!
A British firm has claimed the world’s hottest chilli pepper crown, a fearsome beast clocking 1,176,182 on the Scoville scale.
Fire Foods of Lincolnshire is responsible for cultivating the Infinity Chilli, which tests at Warwick University confirmed as the planet’s most potent. The previous record holder is the bhut jolokia, which measures a mere 1,041,427.
The company has unleashed this weapon of culinary destruction on the form of its Infinity Chilli Sauce at £6.50 a bottle. It cautions that it’s “in the process of getting another batch tested which we believe will be even higher” on the Scoville scale, so consider yourselves warned.
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By comparison, the Habanero and Jalapeño peppers register a puny 100,000 – 350,000 and 2,500 – 5,000, respectively.
There’s more at the link.
Intrigued, I investigated further. Wikipedia states that the infinity chili is a cultivar or variant of the bhut jolokia, which makes sense. I went to the Web site of Fire Foods and found the following:
At long last we are pleased to announce that out new Infinity chilli sauce is for sale. We were unsure on how best to use the flesh to give you maximum heat and flavour. We have decided to keep it very simple, we have cooked up hundreds of pods and used a little white vinegar to help the sauce pour, we have not messed about so you can taste the fruity nature of this chilli.
AS you know this chilli beat the current world record holder the Bhut Jolokia, by 20,000 scoville units in 2009, the results are in for 2010 and it measured a whopping 1,176,182 that’s 100,000 scoville units hotter than anything ever grown!! And was grown right here in the UK. We are in the process of getting another batch tested which we believe will be even higher.
As for using this sauce…..well just add a little to anything you like, everything from sandwiches to currys, there is no limits to this sauce, it will create an explosion in your mouth when used.
We are only making this sauce in small batches, as and when the chillis ripen and as and when i have the courage!!! Get one while you can, for a natural sauce it doesn’t get any hotter than this!
Again, there’s more at the link, including a big selection of hot sauces and related products.
The company will do mail-order outside the UK, and advises prospective customers to contact them for shipping charges and related information. I think I’m going to place an order, if only on the principle of “I’ve gotta try this!” – and I think I know where Labrat can shop for gifts for Stingray from now on . . .
Peter