Carolina Reaper pepper

Carolina Reaper is a cultivar of the Capsicum chinense plant. It was developed by an American breeder, Ed Currie, and is known for its distinctive red, gnarled appearance, with a bumpy texture and a small, pointed tail. The pepper's name, "Reaper", is due to the shape of its tail. The variety was obtained by crossing a La Soufrière pepper from Saint-Vincent, described as "really wickedly hot", with a Naga pepper from India.

Carolina Reaper is renowned for its intense heat, which comes from the density of capsaicinoids, particularly capsaicin. The initial taste has been described as sweet and fruity, but quickly shifts to an extreme heat that has been compared to "molten lava". In 2017, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized it as the world's hottest pepper. with 1569300 scoville unit.