The Carolina Reaper and the ghost pepper are two of the hottest peppers in the world. They are both parts of a group called “superhot” because they pack so much heat that they can cause people to vomit, break out in a sweat, or even go into anaphylactic shock. However, despite their similar levels of spiciness, there are some differences between these two peppers—and it’s not just how many seeds each one has!
What are the Carolina Reaper and Ghost Pepper?
The Carolina Reaper is a hybrid of the Naga Viper pepper and the hottest pepper in the world, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. It was created by Ed Currie, who also owns PuckerButt Pepper Co., which developed this spicy fruit. The Carolina Reaper has an average heat rating of 1.57 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it one of the hottest peppers on earth.
The Ghost Pepper got its name from its white color (like a ghost) and because it’s so hot that most people can’t eat it without crying tears of pain. It originated in South Africa but is now grown around the world and is used in many hot sauces, including Tabasco brand hot sauce from Louisiana, where they grow their own version called “Ass Kickin Hot Sauce.”
In this article, we will compare these two peppers together to see which one is hotter so you can decide whether or not to eat them later on.
Is The Carolina Reaper Hotter Than The Ghost Pepper?
We know the Carolina Reaper as one of the hottest peppers in the world, with a heat rating of 2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The Ghost Pepper is less hot than that with 1.46 million SHU. So which pepper do you think has more spicy power? It may surprise you to learn that it’s actually the Carolina Reaper! In fact, there are currently no hotter peppers in existence than these two.
But what exactly does “hotter” mean? For our purposes here today, we’re going to define “hotter” as having a higher measured level of capsaicinoids—the compounds responsible for giving peppers their spiciness—than another pepper.
Differences Between Carolina Reaper and Ghost Pepper
The first notable difference between the Carolina Reaper and the Ghost Pepper is their origin. The Ghost Pepper, which comes from South America, has a different history than your average pepper in America.
The Carolina Reaper was bred by Ed Currie who owns PuckerButt Pepper Company. This company specializes in breeding hot peppers from different parts of the world and then selling them to the public.
The second difference between these two peppers is size: A ghost pepper usually ranges between 6-8 inches while a Carolina Reaper can be up to 11 inches long! That’s not all though—it also has more volume than its counterpart because it contains more seeds inside as well (up to 40 seeds per pod).
Lastly, if you’re wondering which one tastes better… well… that depends on who you ask! Some prefer sweeter flavors, like those found in sweet bell peppers, so they may see sweetness in the Carolina Reaper’s flavor profile and its unique shape; others enjoy spicy foods so it’s likely they’ll prefer ghost peppers’ spiciness over anything else out there.
Similarities Between Carolina Reaper and Ghost Pepper
- Both the Carolina Reaper and the ghost pepper are hot peppers.
- They are both members of the same species, Capsicum chinense.
- They are both members of the same genus, Capsicum.
- They belong to the same plant family, Solanaceae.
- The two peppers have a similar appearance;
They’re both deep red in color with glossy exteriors and tapered ends that allow them to be easily stuffed into containers like their other chili-pepper cousins.
Health Benefits of Ghost Pepper
As you’ve probably already guessed, the ghost pepper is definitely one of the hottest peppers on earth. It’s so hot, in fact, that I once listed it as the world’s hottest pepper by Guinness World Records.
But there are many benefits to eating ghost peppers beyond just getting a rush of endorphins from your brain when you eat one of these fiery little fruits. Not only can they help with digestion and reduce stomach pain, but they also have been shown to help with weight loss and skin conditions such as acne as well.
Side Effects of Ghost Pepper
In addition to its extreme heat, the Ghost Pepper has some side effects that are worth taking into consideration. These include sweating, chills, crying, and vomiting. In rare cases (according to some sources) it can cause heart attacks.
Health Benefits of Carolina Reaper
Let’s face it, you’re not going to want to eat a Carolina Reaper unless you like the feeling of being on fire.
That said, there are some pretty noteworthy health benefits to eating spicy foods that you may not have been aware of.
- The capsaicin found in chili peppers is an anti-inflammatory agent and has been shown to help relieve pain and reduce swelling.
- Capsaicin helps fight cancer by restricting blood flow to tumors, essentially starving them. It can also slow the growth rate of new brain tumor cells by up to 40 percent!
- Capsaicin lowers blood pressure by stimulating beta receptors in your heart, which makes it more sensitive to catecholamines—the hormones that tell your heart muscle how fast or slow it should beat. This results in a lower resting heart rate and higher stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped with each beat). The result? A calmer pulse!
- Eating spicy food reduces LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). This means less plaque buildup in your arteries over time due to better circulation from increased nitric oxide levels.
Side Effects of Carolina Reaper
The Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest peppers in the world. It can cause severe pain, even when eaten in small amounts. If you have a high tolerance for spicy foods, you may be able to handle eating a Carolina Reaper without negative side effects—but there’s no guarantee that this will always be true.
Carolina Reapers can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea when eaten in large quantities; abdominal pain, as well as frequent urination after consuming them.
Conclusion
So there you have it, folks. The Carolina Reaper is actually hotter than the ghost pepper. It’s not a matter of opinion or personal preference—it’s just a fact. The key factor here is that some plants are better at producing more capsaicinoids (and therefore more spicy heat) than others; this trait can be passed down from one generation to another through breeding techniques like crossbreeding or selective breeding.
