Trinidad Moruga scorpion

Not to be confused with Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper.

The Trinidad Moruga scorpion (a cultivar of Capsicum chinense) is a chili pepper native to the village of Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago. In 2012, New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute identified the Trinidad Moruga scorpion as the hottest chili pepper at that time, with heat of 1.2 million Scoville heat units (SHUs).^[1]

Trinidad Moruga scorpion
Species	Capsicum chinense
Breeder	Wahid Ogeer
Origin	Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago
Heat	Exceptionally hot
Scoville scale	1,207,764 average SHU

By 2017 according to Guinness World Records, the hottest pepper was the Carolina Reaper, with 1.6 million SHU.^[2]

Overview

Trinidad Moruga scorpion, ripe and ready to pick

The yellow cultivar of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion was created by Wahid Ogeer of Trinidad.^{[3][4]: 209}

Paul Bosland, a chili pepper expert and director of the Chile Pepper Institute, said, "You take a bite. It doesn't seem so bad, and then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it is quite nasty."^[5]

Aside from the heat, the Trinidad Moruga scorpion has a tender fruit-like flavor, which makes it a sweet-hot combination.^[6]

References

1. Justin Bannister (2012-02-13). "NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute names the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion hottest pepper on earth". Retrieved 2013-11-26.
2. "Hottest chilli pepper". Guinness World Records. 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
3. Charles Kong Soo (February 14, 2016). "Cut out the middleman, help people earn $$". The Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
4. Caz Hildebrand (2018). An Anarchy of Chilies. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-02183-5.
5. Susan Montoya Bryan (February 15, 2012). "Chile experts: Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is hottest". Associated Press. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
6. Joshi, Monika (2012-03-11). "Chile Pepper Institute studies what's hot". Your life. USA Today. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14.