Trinidad Scorpion Moruga The World’s Hottest Pepper.

peppers2

So which pepper claims the record for the world’s hottest pepper? At the time of filming the video for this post, that title went to the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga (Butch T Scorpion) pepper, but word getting to me is that the title is now held by the Carolina Reaper and the Chocolate Bhutla peppers. So I’ve had to shift the focus of this article from being solely on the Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, to more of a ‘how to’ piece on handling such hot peppers.

 

1. Wear Gloves. When handling such hot peppers it’s important that you wear gloves. If the oils make contact with your skin it can be very painful and the pain will last for hours.

 

2. Even if you wear gloves, wash your hands with soap and water. Repeat!

 

3. When shopping for such peppers, look for plump peppers with no blemishes, green stems and peppers which are not cut or damaged. When fully ripe they can be red, yellow or orange (even chocolate). Peppers which are green in color simply means they are not fully mature (still very HOT) and to be quite honest I personally like using ‘green’ ones when I’m looking for more flavor than raw heat.

 

4. Storing. You can store Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, bhut jolokia, Carolina Reaper and Chocolate Bhutla on your kitchen counter for a few days, they will last in the fridge for a couple weeks and if you have a bumper crop you can place them (wash and dry first) in a thick zipper bag and freeze for months. They will maintain a high level of heat even if frozen.

 

 

 

5. Unlike typical Scotch Bonnet peppers, which tend to have the higher concentration of heat closest to the seeds, these varieties are hot the entire pepper. Normal scotch bonnets can be a bit less hot near the tip (bottom) of the pepper and as you work your way to the stems, the heat intensifies. This is not the case with Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, bhut jolokia, Carolina Reaper, Chocolate Bhutla and other extreme peppers. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where you’ll get the RAW heat, so please be aware.

 

6. When making hot sauces (peppersauce) with Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, bhut jolokia, Carolina Reaper and Chocolate Bhutla I don’t recommend cooking these peppers indoor (if you cook your sauces). The scent will be choking to say the least.

 

7. If you want the flavor of the pepper in soups, stews, curries and other dishes, cook with the whole pepper (unbroken) and fish it out when the dish is done. The dish will have heat (not as intense as using cut peppers), but you’ll also get a wonderful flavor by using this method.

 

8. Chocolate. Do NOT be fooled when the word ‘chocolate” is attached to the name of the pepper, as it only applies to the color of the pepper and not the taste.

 

9. What to do when you try to be brave and you simply can’t handle the heat? Do not drink water and avoid alcohol. The capsaicin (heat oils of the pepper)  won’t dissolve in water. Water spreads the burning to parts that weren’t previously affected and alcohol will magnify the burn. Acidic food or drink you can neutralize some of the activity of the alkaline capsaicinoid. Reach for cold lemonade, a lemon or lime, orange juice, anything tomato-based, or drinking milk (which is acidic). Milk, yogurt, and sour cream are acidic, which helps to combat the burning but in reality you’ll have to deal with some discomfort until the heat naturally fades away.

 

Read Next
Postal

2-558 Upper Gage Ave Suite 225 Hamilton, Ontario L8V 4J6 Canada

1.347.379.1969

Work with me

support@ChrisDeLaRosa.com

1.347.379.1969

Social

Instagram: @CaribbeanPot

YouTube: @CaribbeanPot

Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy