The Carolina Reaper is a cultivar of the Capsicum chinense plant.
Developed by US breeder Ed Currie, the pepper is red and gnarled, with a
bumpy texture and small pointed tail. In 2013, Guinness World Records
declared it the hottest chili pepper in the world, surpassing the
previous record holder, the Trinidad Scorpion "Butch T".
The sensory heat or pungency detected when eating a Carolina Reaper derives from the density of capsaicinoids, particularly capsaicin, which relates directly to the intensity of chili pepper heat and Scoville scale