Dragon's Breath (chili pepper)
Dragon's Breath is a chili pepper cultivar unofficially tested at 2.48 million Scoville units, a claim that would make it the second-hottest chili on record after Pepper X. Guinness World Records has different accredited results on the matter, showing the Carolina Reaper as the hottest in the world.
| Dragon's Breath | |
|---|---|
| Species | Capsicum chinense |
| Breeder | Neal Price |
| Origin | Denbighshire and Nottingham, United Kingdom |
| Heat |  Exceptionally hot |
| Scoville scale | 2,480,000[1] SHU |
Development
The plant was developed in a collaboration between chili farmer Neal Price, NPK Technology, and Nottingham Trent University during a test of a special plant food and for its essential oil having potential as a skin anesthetic.[2][3][4] The Dragon's Breath plant was later cultivated by breeder Mike Smith of St. Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales, who said that he had not planned to breed the chili for record heat, but rather was trying to grow an attractive pepper plant.[5] Due to the nationality of the farmer who cultivated the pepper in Wales, it was named Dragon's Breath after the Welsh dragon.[6] It was entered in the Plant of the Year contest at the 2017 Chelsea Flower Show where it was on the short list, but did not place.[2][5][7]
Heat
The Dragon's Breath chili was tested at 2.48 million Scoville units, exceeding the 1.5 million of the Carolina Reaper, the hottest previously known chili,[3][4] but was surpassed several months later by Pepper X at 3.18 million Scoville units.[8]
Nottingham Trent University researchers suggest that the pepper's ability to numb the skin might make its essential oil useful as an anaesthetic for patients who cannot tolerate other anaesthetics, or in countries where they are too expensive.[5][6] Experts at the university warned that swallowing one might cause death by choking or anaphylactic shock;[5][6] one science writer noted that this was a standard warning that applied only to those with relevant allergies.[4]
References
- Geggel, Laura (19 May 2017). "Superhot 'Dragon's Breath' Chili Pepper Can Kill. Here's How". Live Science. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- "'World's hottest' chilli pepper grown in St Asaph". BBC news North East Wales. 17 May 2017.
- Shanika Gunaratna (22 May 2017). "The hottest pepper in the world? Beware the 'Dragon's Breath'". CBS news.
- Jake Buehler (19 May 2017). "'World's Hottest Pepper' Will Have You Breathing Fire, But It Won't Kill You". Gizmodo.
- Henry Bodkin (17 May 2017). "Hottest chilli pepper in the world accidentally created by Welsh farmer". The Telegraph.
- Marc Waddington (17 May 2017) [16 May 2017]. "St Asaph man develops weapons-grade chilli so hot it could KILL you". Daily Post.
- "Plant of the Year". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
- Elizabeth Licata (23 September 2017). "Pepper X is the new hottest pepper in the world". The Daily Meal. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
