World’s hottest chilli grown by accident for Chelsea show
A WELSH fruit grower trying to come up with a novel entry for next week’s Chelsea Flower Show has accidentally created the hottest chilli ever recorded.
Mike Smith, from Denbighshire, declared himself “chuffed” if a little “surprised” after scientists confirmed that his Devil’s Breath chilli had eclipsed the existing American record holder by a clear margin.
Originally intended to be a thing of beauty rather than a sensory beast, the peppers measure a formidable 2.48million on the Scoville heat scale, ahead of the 2.2 million achieved by the Carolina Reaper. Ironically, Mr Smith, 53, the owner of Tom Smith Plants, said he was not even a fan of spicy food.
The one-metre-tall tree was last night being installed at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Showground in London, where it will be in contention for the Plant of the Year award.
It was grown in collaboration with scientists from Nottingham Trent University, who believe oil from the chillies is so potent it could act as an alternative anaesthetic for those allergic to conventional drugs.
“I’ve tried it on the tip of my tongue and it just burned and burned,” Mr Smith said. “I spat it out in about 10 seconds. The heat intensity just grows.”
Experts believe that anyone who attempted to swallow one of the peppers would be at risk of death from anaphylactic shock.
“It was a complete accident but I’m chuffed to bits – it’s a lovely looking tree,” Mr Smith added.
By contrast, US Army pepper spray, used to blind assailants, measures two million on the Scoville scale.