There are chili peppers and then there are super hot peppers that will feel more as if they are biting your face off than the other way around.
Anyone that’s ever tried more than one fresh chili knows the difference.
And, if you’re maniac enough to eat 22 Reapers in 60 seconds (yes, that’s happened), you really are able to spot the difference between a Jalapeño and super hot pepper.
While fast-food joints muck around with Habanero sauces, there’s an undercurrent of fire taking over the chili industry across the world. (We may even have to give props to Wendy’s for breaking out of the ordinary on this one.)
Super Hot Peppers Have Suddenly Become Available
The United States doesn’t have exclusivity on the super hot pepper market, but we’re certainly leading the revolution for countries that don’t already have a spicy food culture. With the market size that we have, it’s just easier to bring hotter peppers to the table; there are enough people to develop a demand.
Smaller countries don’t have that luxury, but it hasn’t stopped them from bringing super hot peppers to the market when they can. Countries like South Africa and Australia have developed thriving chili scenes and are growing extraordinary peppers. Specialty stores and online businesses are beginning to take the super hot message to the public.
In some countries, super-hot peppers are beginning to hit the mainstream. Take a look at the release of the Reaper to the British and Irish through the mass retailer, Tesco. Before the pepper was even put on the shelves, people were causing a fuss. Concerned groups tried to lobby Tesco to halt the sale of these peppers claiming they’re a health hazard. Meanwhile, chili heads counted the days like kids at Christmas, just waiting for their first shot at a sliver of Reaper.
At least, it should be a sliver that most people try (and certainly not 22 in a minute) because these peppers are damn hot. And, Tesco was counting on people to exercise their judgment. Though, to be fair, most people just don’t have the judgment that they think they have. And it’s mind-bending easy to convince someone to go against their better judgment.
In any case, people rushed to Tesco’s when they knew they would be able to pick up a pack of peppers, and then they rushed home to create videos of them eating entire peppers – not the Tesco-recommended sliver.
Getting It on Camera Is (Always) the Best Idea
James Ware was one such Tesco shopper. Though he has a vlog on YouTube, this appears to be the first time he’s ever tried anything close to a Reaper and perhaps he’s never tried any super-hot peppers. (We think that’s because they’ve taken a while to reach the isles across the Atlantic.)
His comments are perhaps the most hysterical ever uttered under the influence of a Reaper (which makes us believe he must be incredibly eloquent most of the time). More importantly, his willingness to try the world’s hottest pepper just shows how quickly super-hot peppers are spreading across the world. Soon, it may be normal to stumble on ridiculously hot peppers every time you leave the house.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
