What is the average Scoville heat rating of the Carolina Reaper pepper?

The Carolina Reaper’s average heat rating is 1,641,183 Scoville heat units (SHU).

That figure came from testing conducted by Winthrop University during the pepper’s Guinness World Records certification. It describes the average heat of a tested batch, not a guaranteed reading for every individual pepper. Growing conditions, genetics, maturity, and testing methods can all affect a pepper’s capsaicinoid concentration.

The Carolina Reaper is a cultivar of Capsicum chinense developed by American breeder Ed Currie in South Carolina. It was created by crossing a red habanero-type pepper from Saint Vincent with a Naga, or ghost, pepper from Assam. The result is known for a wrinkled red body, a pointed tail, fruity flavor, and extreme heat.

The Reaper held Guinness’s hottest-pepper title from 2013 until 2023, when Currie’s Pepper X surpassed it. Reports of individual Reapers reaching roughly 2.2 million SHU should not replace the certified average; that higher figure was not Guinness’s official average rating.