Carolina Reaper - 5 Fiery Reasons To Love This Super Hot Pepper
It’s been over a decade since this iconic, devilish pepper emerged on the world’s hot pepper scene. It was 2013 when the Carolina Reaper took the title for the world’s hottest chili pepper, snagging a Guinness World Record for its astonishing peak spice level of 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This left earlier chilis, like the Habanero (with a peak of 350,000 SHU) in the dust.
The Carolina Reaper has held its infamous ground for many years, exploding into the mainstream through popular culture phenomena like World’s Hottest Pepper Challenges on Youtube, and finding its way into endless commercial applications. It is no longer elusive and can be found fresh in grocery stores, growing from seed in urban gardens and infiltrating some of the most delicious spicy condiments on the market!
While it’s true that this sweet and fruity firebomb has now been dethroned as the world’s hottest pepper, there are more reasons, and ways than ever to fall in love with the Carolina Reaper.Here are 5 hot reasons to befriend this modern edible miracle.
#1 Carolina Reaper Cool Origins
What’s compelling about the Carolina Reaper is its origin story, and the fact that it is part of the family at the frontier of hot pepper development. Both the Carolina Reaper and the world’s current hottest chili, Pepper X (over 3.1 million SHU), were created by Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Farms in South Carolina.
Currie fathered the Carolina Reaper through meticulous cross-breeding of the Pakistani Naga Viper with the Red Habanero over a 10-year span. His tireless dedication and care gave us a pepper that is extraordinary in both heat and flavor.
Ed’s work with the Carolina Reaper initiated a new era of hot pepper cultivation, pushing the limits of what man can do together with nature. Ed and many other pepper enthusiasts continue to experiment with future strains of super hots. Enjoying the Carolina Reaper is a way of supporting this legacy in pepper and spice evolution.
#2 Endless Innovation
Long gone are the days when regular chili flakes, chili powder or even buffalo sauce are the go-to for a spicy kick with your meal. Ten years has given the Carolina Reaper ample time to penetrate all corners of the food market, giving us consumers an extraordinary selection of spice-up options. Traditional pepper products like chili flakes, hot sauces, powders, jellies, oil infusions and purees get a scorching boost when food creators choose the Reaper as their star ingredient. The Carolina Reaper’s unforgettable heat also tends to inspire new food products.
These days we can find the Carolina Reaper paired with roasted nuts, gummy bears, pickles, jerky, popcorn and chocolate, among other snack foods. Look out for incredible cheeses and sausages that feature the Reaper as well. Or keep a bag of Carolina Reaper finishing salt handy to add its flaming kick to the rim of a drink or just about any morsel of food seconds before a first bite.
#3 Chasing the Burn
Consuming the Reaper is an excellent gustation choice for pepper-head thrill seekers because it is excruciatingly hot, but not borderline lethal, like its recent sibling Pepper X. This means spice-lovers can still confidently and safely customize their searing adventure of this tasty pod.
Social media has no doubt glorified pushing the limits of eating the world’s hottest peppers. Caution and care must be taken as the experience can be indescribably intense and recovery can take many hours. But, when done responsibility, pepper challenges with fresh or dried Carolina Reapers (or small pieces of them) can be exhilarating, entertaining and fun. Not to mention humbling.
Newbies to consuming the Reaper can achieve a pepper high more gently by opting for a product that blends the Reaper with other ingredients to build tolerance. Ultimately, Carolina Reaper products can be a fantastic, experiential gift idea for those who tout their spice tolerance or those foodies who are always yearning for new tastes.
#4 Home on Fire
The Carolina Reaper is an exciting plant to spice up your home life! Growing the Carolina Reaper is becoming more and more popular, and not just in warm climates. Enthusiasts are growing Reapers from seed indoors, year round, all over the world. A single plant, grown as a perennial can last up to 10 years, providing a bounty of pretty, red demon peppers to enjoy with friends and family.
Growing the beautiful Carolina Reaper plant can be a rewarding journey for any green thumb. The harvested fruit can be appreciated by gently amping up a simple stew or for use in risque culinary experimentation. There is no shortage of creative recipes online that incorporate the Carolina Reaper, whether you grow them or buy them. Perhaps this remarkable pepper will even inspire the DIY-type to invent a hit culinary product of their own.
#5 Health Benefits of Capsaicin
Nature is truly our most incredible source of health-promoting substances. As with most other peppers, the Carolina Reaper has antioxidant properties with high levels of vitamins A and C. Interestingly, capsaicin, the compound in Salt & Scoville Carolina Reaper Salt which makes it so unbearably hot, has even more provocative potential when it comes to our health.
Studies around capsaicin show promise in a number of different areas. For instance it is known to increase metabolic rate, which can play a role in weight management. Animal models have demonstrated benefits for brain disorders like Alzheimers, Parkinsons and even depression. Topical creams containing capsaicin are used for pain management and this phytochemical also has high potential in dermatology for anti-ageing.
The future of capsaicin in healthcare is exciting and can help us appreciate super hot peppers for more than their assault on our taste buds.
Is There Anything Hotter Than a Carolina Reaper?
Yes, there is, but hotter is not always better. The Carolina Reaper has won the hearts of many over its first decade and will surely continue to challenge, inspire, delight and entertain many more to come. It has its own kind of mystique and perfection that one can only imagine by tasting it.
If you haven’t had a chance to get acquainted with the Carolina Reaper, there’s no better time than the present. Even a tiny amount of this noteworthy fruit can create a memorable meal, a hysterical night with friends or fodder for inventiveness. There are more reasons than just these 5 to fall in love with the Reaper…ask around and you will discover them!
