The Carolina Reaper.

These new chillies, such as Pepper X, are often direct crosses of the Carolina Reaper. By crossing this pepper with other particularly potent varieties, producers have succeeded in concentrating more capsaicin. As a result, these new-generation chillies sometimes surpass Carolina Reaper in terms of potency, but not by much, and Carolina Reaper always remains a benchmark and a starting point for these new creations.​ 

Its worldwide renown and exceptional potency make it an unrivalled symbol in the world of chillies. 

Above: A macroscopic view of pure capsaicin drops inside one of our Brussels-grown Carolina Reapers.

The true origin of the Carolina Reaper remains a controversy that fuels debate in the world of extreme chillies. Officially, this pepper was created in the 2010s by Ed Currie, an American grower based in South Carolina. Currie claims to have crossed a red Habanero with a Naga Viper, an English variety already famous for its potency, to develop what would become the world's strongest chili pepper in 2013, according to Guinness World Records. But some voices are challenging this official version and casting a shadow of doubt over the story.

Some pepper experts and enthusiasts (ourselves included) point to the uncanny resemblance between Carolina Reaper and experimental varieties developed in the UK in the late 2000s, notably by English growers working on crosses involving Naga Viper. 

However, this work preceded the public appearance of the Carolina Reaper by several years. Could Ed Currie have drawn on these English varieties without saying so? The genetic similarity between Reaper and these peppers remains a grey area, as no comparative analysis has been made public.

In 2013, when Guinness crowned Carolina Reaper as the world's hottest pepper, some critics noted that Currie never provided clear details of the crossbreeding process that would have led to its creation. Why so much mystery surrounding a development he claims to be totally original? There are even whispers that Currie took advantage of his travels or contacts with European growers to acquire seeds or ideas, which he then adapted for his own use.

This theory is fuelled by the fact that Currie himself wasn't always a household name in the chilli world before this consecration. English growers, on the other hand, were already renowned for their work with ultra-potent chillies, of which here are the two most convincing examples:

Naga Viper :

Naga Viper was developed by Gerald Fowler, a passionate British grower and owner of "The Chilli Pepper Company" in northwest England. He created this pepper by crossing several varieties, including Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Scorpion, to produce an incredibly potent variety that briefly held the title of the world's hottest pepper in 2011.

Dorset Naga :

Dorset Naga was developed by Joy and Michael Michaud, an English farming couple based in Dorset. They are the owners of "Peppers by Post", a company specializing in the cultivation and distribution of chillies. They have selected and stabilized this variety from the Naga Morich, originally from Bangladesh, to make a unique pepper that is both powerful and tasty.

So why has Ed Currie's name suddenly eclipsed these pioneers? Was it the result of a stroke of marketing genius, or a skilful appropriation of others' work?

Ed Currie firmly defends his version of events and continues to promote the Carolina Reaper as a 100% American creation. This controversy, though unresolved, raises important questions about ethics and credit in the world of agriculture, where the boundaries between inspiration and appropriation sometimes remain blurred.

Text & images by Thibault Fournal. 

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