VOA文化艺术2023--Pepper X Sets Guinness Record for Hottest Pepper

Pepper X Sets Guinness Record for Hottest Pepper

Ed Currie is the pepper expert who grew the Carolina Reaper¹, which has been considered the hottest pepper in the world since 2013. Ten years later, Currie broke his record with one that is three times hotter: Pepper X.

The Guinness Book of World Records named Currie’s latest creation the world’s “hottest chili² pepper” this month.

Guinness uses what are called Scoville Heat Units (SHU) to measure heat in a chili pepper. A normal jalapeno pepper registers about 5,000 units. A habanero, the record-holder³ about 25 years ago, reaches 100,000 SHU.

The Carolina Reaper held the record since 2013 with 1.64 million SHU. And Pepper X is the new record holder with an average of 2.69 million units. By comparison, pepper spray commonly carried by police is around 1.6 million units. And bear spray, a product to keep bears away, is advertised to have 2.2 million units.

Currie said when he first tried Pepper X, “I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours.” Currie, one of only five people so far to eat an entire Pepper X added, “Then the cramps⁴ came.” The cramps, he said, left him lying in pain for another hour.

Currie started working on Pepper X after he set the record in 2013 with the Carolina Reaper. He crossbred 100 different kinds of peppers every year for 10 years. Currie hoped that just one or two would make it through the development process. His goal was to offer an extremely hot pepper flavored with a little sweetness.

Pepper X is greenish yellow. It is a crossbreed of a Carolina Reaper and, what Currie mysteriously called, a “pepper that a friend of mine sent me from Michigan that was brutally⁵ hot.”

The chemical in peppers that causes the burn is called capsaicin. The chemical causes a burning sensation when it touches human tissue. The burning sensation is also said to release chemicals into the body called endorphins and dopamine.

Currie started growing peppers after ending drug and alcohol addictions⁷. He considers that sensation a natural “high.” He shares his peppers with medical researchers, hoping they can use them to treat disease and help people who suffer chronic⁸ pain or discomfort⁹.

Currie is trying to build a business with his new creation. In the past, Currie permitted people to grow his peppers without protecting his ideas. His lawyers say they have counted more than 10,000 products that use the Carolina Reaper name, or other intellectual property, without permission.

For Pepper X, he said no seeds will be released without his permission. “Everybody else made their money off the Reaper. It’s time for us to reap the benefits of the hard work I do,” Currie said.

Currie wants people to eat peppers and thinks they can gain from the experience that comes after the burn. He warns people from reaching too quickly for a Carolina Reaper or Pepper X.

When asked if Pepper X is the “pinnacle¹⁰” or the hottest a pepper can be, Currie said with a smile, “No, it’s not the pinnacle.”

Words in This Story

cramps –n. (usually pl) a feeling of pain and tightening¹¹ often near the stomach or abdomen¹² or in the muscles

crossbred –v. to purposely breed different versions of similar plants so that the offspring will have certain qualities

addiction⁶ –n. a strong and harmful need to regularly have something, often a drug, or to do something like gambling¹³

chronic –adj. (medical) continuing for a long time or repeatedly

intellectual property –n. the inventions of a person that are recognized as that person’s property and which cannot legally be copied

benefits –n. (pl.) the good results of work

1 reaper   

n.收割者，收割机

参考例句：

• The painting is organized about a young reaper enjoying his noonday rest.这幅画的画面设计成一个年轻的割禾人在午间休息。
• A rabbit got caught in the blades of the reaper.一只兔子被卷到收割机的刀刃中去了。

2 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

3 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

4 cramps   

n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚

参考例句：

• If he cramps again let the line cut him off. 要是它再抽筋，就让这钓索把它勒断吧。
• "I have no cramps." he said. “我没抽筋，"他说。

5 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

6 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

7 addictions   

瘾( addiction的名词复数 )； 吸毒成瘾； 沉溺； 癖好

参考例句：

• He has removed the stigma of drug addictions. 他已经洗去吸毒的污点了。
• Intelligent people are good at using reason to control excessive addictions. 智慧的人善于用理性来控制过度的嗜欲。

8 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

9 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

10 pinnacle   

n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰

参考例句：

• Now he is at the very pinnacle of his career.现在他正值事业中的顶峰时期。
• It represents the pinnacle of intellectual capability.它代表了智能的顶峰。

11 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

12 abdomen   

n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)

参考例句：

• How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫？
• He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。

13 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。