If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen…and certainly steer clear of the scorpion pepper. If you’re a lover of tongue-tingling, scorching hot grub, then you’ll have probably heard of this fiery food before.
If not, let us introduce you. The scorpion pepper is one of the hottest varieties of the vegetable out there and ranks amongst the hottest in the world.
So, if you find the likes of a jalapeno pepper pretty intense, biting into this bad boy is likely to feel like hellfire in your mouth. And in fact, it actually took many generations of growers to actually stabilize its heat level.
If you’d like to find out more about this red-hot pepper, its spice level, and how it tastes, well, then you better carry on reading!
So, What’s A Scorpion Pepper?
So, exactly what is this pepper we speak of? Well, it’s a type of chili pepper that originates from the island of Trinidad. It gets its name from its tail which looks similar to the stinger of the arachnid the scorpion.
Though it probably also has something to do with the fact that the pepper is also equally as dangerous. Don’t believe us? Then maybe this will reiterate the point we’re making. Scorpion peppers have a Scoville rating of 2 million units.
To put that into perspective, the jalapeno pepper has a Scoville rating of around 2000-8000 units. So even at the jalapeno’s hottest, the scorpion pepper is still roughly 250 times hotter!
Typically, the pepper comes in two colors, either red or yellow, and they tend to be anywhere between 3-5 inches in length.
As you can imagine though, these peppers come with a powerful punch so when you are incorporating them into your meals, it is best to do so sparingly.
Top Tip – Always handle Scorpion peppers wearing gloves or else you can expect a pretty nasty skin irritation…and don’t even think about rubbing your eyes after touching them.
What Is The Appearance Of A Scorpion Pepper?
The world’s second hottest pepper is pretty distinctive in its appearance, and as we mentioned earlier it has this pointy stinger-like end to it that resembles that of a scorpion. Which is where it gets the name.
Most commonly you’ll find them in red, orange, or yellow hues but sometimes you may find white or brown varieties too.
When We Say A Scorpion Pepper Is Hot, Just How Hot Are We Talking?
We touched on this earlier, and we learned that the answer is pretty hot. Falling only behind the Carolina Reaper, it is the second hottest chili pepper on the planet with its whooping 2 million Scoville heat units.
In fact, it has such a spicy burn to it, that it has even been used in pepper spray as a form of defensive weaponry. So, if you’re not great with spice it’s safe to say that this will probably be too hot for you to handle.
You quite literally shouldn’t handle it without gloves, after all. But despite its scorching heat, it can actually be a pretty versatile vegetable. It just needs to be used incredibly sparingly.
Some individuals actually enjoy biting into this pepper as a fiery snack…not that it’s something we’d recommend. And it can also add a bit of heat to a variety of dishes such as curries.
For those that do not fear the throbbing tongue, tingly throat, or profuse sweating, though, it’s definitely worth a taste test. You might just want to keep some milk, ice cream, and Pepto-Bismol to hand…you know just in case…maybe even a bucket too.
What Is Apocalypse Scorpion Pepper?
Yikes, if a scorpion pepper is that hot…imagine an apocalypse scorpion pepper! They can get as hot as 2,200,000 Scoville Heat Units.
That’s like the regular kind of scorpion pepper with an additional 2.5 times the spiciest jalapeno heat rating. So, very, very, very, hot.
If you can move past the undeniable heat though, you’ll also notice that these peppers have a somewhat sweet and fruity flavor to them too.
How Can You Incorporate Scorpion Peppers Into Your Cooking?
So, if you are amongst the few brave enough to try this fiery pepper, you may be wondering how to incorporate it into some of your day-to-day meals. Well, there are plenty of options. As we mentioned earlier on in this article, they are actually pretty versatile little things.
You can make the likes of spicy sauces with them, along with a variety of salsas, and even seasoning for grilled meats and vegetables. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite ways to incorporate scorpion peppers into your meals!
- Chili – You can add a small amount of minced scorpion pepper to your chili to give it that extra kick.
- Hot Sauces – If you like your hot sauce super hot, then you can’t go wrong with adding some roasted chili peppers, a small amount of scorpion peppers, vinegar, garlic, and salt together to create a scrumptious fiery hot sauce.
- Scorpion-Infused Oil – Try creating an oil infused with the spicy pepper and then brush it over your favorite grilled meat for vegetables.
- Chili Powder – You can also use the pepper to create a chili powder that you can then add to a variety of snack foods to give it an extra element of heat.
Final Thoughts
As we have definitely learned during this article, scorpion peppers are hot, hot, HOT. In fact, they are one of the very hottest peppers across the globe, so they are definitely not for the faint of heart…or stomach.
If you do dare to give this respectably fiery pepper a go, please do so sparingly. Even more so if you don’t often try pretty spicy food.
If you take a big bite, there’s a pretty good chance it’ll come back up as quickly as it went down, and that’s not pleasant for anyone involved.
Keep in mind that you should actually wear gloves when you prepare this pepper because it’s that hot and powerful that it can cause skin irritation that’s pretty serious.
Plus, cut this pepper and then accidentally wipe your eye and you’ll definitely know about it. But despite everything that we’ve said, it is actually a very versatile vegetable that when used in extremely small quantities can be quite delicious.
So, why not give it a try today? Just be sure to keep some milk beside you to placate the burn!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve tried a ghost pepper, you probably think that there is no possibility that anything could be hotter than that. But it can.
A ghost pepper has a Scoville rating that sits in the one-million mark, whereas the scorpion pepper is double that at over a whopping two million Scoville Heat Units.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the hottest chili in the entire world is none other than the Carolina Reaper which maxes out at around 2.5 million Scoville Heat Units.
So, that means that it is very hot, but the Scorpion Pepper is definitely not that far behind it.
Red. Often the color of danger, red is quite an apt color for the hottest stage of this pepper.
Usually, a Scorpion pepper will start its life with a green hue which then transforms into a golden yellow before finally turning red. As it progresses through each color, its heat continues to intensify.
Sure. Unripe peppers will definitely still be edible, and in fact, they may often be more palatable for the majority of individuals since they have a less intense heat than they do once they are ripe.
However, you’ll often find that they also come with a somewhat unripened flavor that not everybody enjoys.
Yes. Though they have a less intense heat than the ripe red varieties, do not expect them to be cool or calm by any means. They will still be spicier than the majority of chili peppers on the market.
Well, much like any extremely spicy food, you can expect an instantaneous burning sensation in your mouth that intensifies over time. It can also cause a tingling tongue and a scratchy throat.
In more severe cases, it can also cause breathing difficulties, nausea and vomiting, along with diarrhea too. So, it’s definitely worth trying in very small doses, to begin with.
Scorpion peppers are pretty rare to get your hands on so you definitely won’t find them in most local supermarkets and grocery stores.
You may have a chance of getting them in specialist shops but even then they can be difficult to obtain. Usually, they are much easier to find in their place of origin – Trinidad and Tobago.
