10 Hottest Peppers in the World

There has been an explosion over the past several years of new, exotic hot pepper cross-breeds, each one striving to be rated hotter than the last. The Guinness World Record for hottest pepper has changed hands several times since 2011. And if you love peppers, you should visit the Insidermonkey and read the article on the hottest peppers in the world.

There are many varieties of chili peppers that often have different names depending on the region. The list on Insidermonkey includes Scoville rating, along with a pic of each pepper. This list is more about hot peppers, so many of the sweet pepper varieties are not included.

Like I already mentioned, the hotness of peppers is measured in " Scoville units." Tabasco sauce is typically 2,000 to 5,000 Scoville units. Take a bite out of a jalapeno pepper and you'll be exposing your tongue to up to 10,000 Scoville units. While for most people that's hot, it's only a fraction of the spiciness found in some of the world's hottest peppers. For instance, a typical habanero pepper, which can be found in many local grocers, can be up to 35 times as hot as the hottest jalapenos and 70 times as hot as Tabasco sauce, clocking in at the high end at 350,000 Scoville units. And there are peppers that are much, much hotter.

While the hottest pepper in the world is a matter debate, any one in these 10 will give spicy food daredevils a challenge. And, If you do find yourself face-to-face with one of the peppers from the list, dairy products like milk or sour cream should help relieve the pain; while the instinct to drink a cold glass of water may be strong, water will only spread the burn, so steer clear. And of course, if you have fear of peppers, you should not even taste them. By the way, while I mentioned phobias, you should check out the article on The 15 Most Common Phobias in America that Induce Fits of Panic from Insidermonkey as well.