Pepper X
{{Short description|Cultivar of Capsicum chili pepper}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Pepper X
| image =
| species = Capsicum chinense
| hybrid =
| breeder = Ed Currie
| origin = Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States
| module = {{Infobox pepper
| embed = yes
| heat = Exceptionally hot
| scoville = 2,693,000{{Cite web |date=23 August 2023 |title=Hottest chilli pepper |url=https://guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/hottest-chili |access-date=16 October 2023 |publisher=Guinness World Records Ltd.}}
}}
}}
Pepper X is a cultivar of Capsicum chili pepper bred by the American chili breeder Ed Currie, the creator of the Carolina Reaper.{{cite news |first1=Chloe|last1=Kim |title=Guinness World Records crowns new hottest pepper |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67136085 |access-date=18 October 2023 |work=BBC News |date=17 October 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Hultquist |first=Mike |date=23 February 2018 |title=Pepper X – Latest News and Information |work=Chili Pepper Madness |url=https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/news/pepper-x-latest-news-and-information/ |access-date=21 January 2019}}{{Cite news |last=Saelinger |first=Tracy |date=29 September 2017 |title='World's hottest pepper' will make you choke, sweat and cry for mercy |publisher=Today, NBC News |url=https://www.today.com/food/pepper-x-t116798 |access-date=17 December 2017}} In 2023, Guinness World Records recognized it as the world's hottest chili pepper.
Breeding
The exceptional pungency of the chili was developed over 10 years of cultivation for desired traits to emerge through selective plant breeding, and 10 or more generations for the hybrid chilis to stabilize with the desired intense pungency. The breeder, Ed Currie, produced 100 hybrid crosses per year with the intent that one or two would succeed for the 10-year development cycle.
Pungency
Pepper X resulted from several cross breedings that produced an exceptionally high content of capsaicin in the locules {{ndash}} the plant tissue holding the seeds. The extensive curves and ridges of a Pepper X chili create more surface area for the plant placenta and locules to grow and retain capsaicin, adding to the intensity of heat experienced when a Pepper X is eaten. Ingestion of a Pepper X chili causes intense abdominal cramps and heartburn.
''Guinness World Records''
On August 23, 2023, Guinness World Records recognized Pepper X as the world's hottest chili pepper, measuring 2.69 million SHU, beating the previous world record of 1.64 million SHU held by the Carolina Reaper, also bred by Currie.{{Cite news |last=Atwal |first=Sanj |date=October 16, 2023 |title=Pepper X dethrones Carolina Reaper as world's hottest chilli pepper |work=Guinness World Records |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/hottest-chili |access-date=October 31, 2023}} The pepper's status has been criticized, however, because neither the pepper nor its seeds have been released to any third party, nor has any independent testing of the pepper been performed.{{cite news |url=https://greatlakesecho.org/2023/12/14/pepper-wars-michigan-grower-disputes-pepper-xs-record-for-worlds-hottest-pepper-says-his-may-be-hotter/ |last=Schoenherr |first=Daniel |date=December 14, 2023 |title=Pepper wars: Michigan grower disputes Pepper X’s record for world’s hottest pepper |work=Great Lakes Echo}} A sauce made from the pepper, claiming on the packaging to be 2.693 million SHU, was tested and found to be only 64,100 SHU.{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dutpBSKj8JY&t=1163s |title=The truth about Hot Ones sauces |date=December 19, 2024 |via=YouTube |publisher=Howtown |time=19:23 }}