The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion; The World’s Hottest Pepper

I'm a big fan of the jalapeno.  Fresh, pickled, slices, whole, you name the prep, I'll be eating soon.  I've always thought jalapenos could be on of the more healthy things to eat.  I've killed many a cold with a jalapeno.  But the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion?  It just might kill you.

It isn't named like a pepper and it isn't any ordinary fruit.

With a name like that, it’s not surprising that  experts at New Mexico’s State University’s Chile Pepper Institute have identified the variety as the new hottest pepper on the planet.

The golf ball-sized pepper scored the highest among a handful of chile breeds reputed to be among the hottest in the world. Its mean heat topped more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale, while fruits from some individual plants reached 2 million heat units.

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion’s new notoriety is already making waves in the industry and among those who love their hot, spicy foods.

“As with all the previous record holders, there will be a run on seeds and plants,” said Jim Duffy, a grower in San Diego who supplied the university with seeds for four of the super-hot varieties. “Like Cabbage Patch dolls right before Christmas or Beanie Babies, it’s like the hot item.”

Not even Duffy or the researchers would dare to pop a whole Trinidad Moruga Scorpion in their mouths, but there are plenty of videos on social networking sites where heat-loving daredevils have tried.

The blood flow increases and the endorphins start flowing. Their faces turn red, the sweat starts rolling, their eyes and noses water and there’s a fiery sensation that spreads across their tongues and down their throats.

“People actually get a crack-like rush,” Duffy said. “I know the people who will eat the hottest stuff to get this rush, but they’ve got to go through the pain.”

For more see this source article.