Met Ed Currie at the hot sauce festival in New Jersey last year. Super nice guy. He had us try a few sauces and we were DYING and he was like "yeah I use this one as a pizza sauce." The guy is an absolute animal.
Capsaicin has been found to kill cancer cells but currently there's no safe way to administer it. Capsaicin works because it's hot. Take away the hotness, cancer cells don't die.
I just thought Ed Currie made the reaper for the spice, but to hear that he developed it while also trying to combat cancer... that's so wholesome 😭 what a guy
He’s absolutely right about the reaper being the hottest, but also the most flavorful. When I had one it tasted like blueberries and jasmine. Incredible pepper
Been following Ed for a decade now. Man is an absolute legend. Watched him eat whole reapers like it was nothing. Watching him eat even small pieces of these peppers while explaining everything and keeping himself composed is great. The majority of these peppers would have the majority of people glowing red sweaty coughing messes. Don't be fool when this guy tells you they aren't hot. A Habanero is roughly 100 times hotter than a Jalapeno and most people agree jalapeno is at least a bit spicy.
@@justinstewart4889 And they are very flavorful, maybe the habaneros are different in the US. But here in Mexico, it is what i use to give my sauces flavor. Because even when using a little the flavor is unmistakable. So it is in no way "Bland". It is so flavorful, that some sauces are made just using two or three ingredients, using habanero. There is a very good reason why it is one of the most popular peppers here in Mexico, it has medium heat and it is very flavorful. But there was something quite weird about his habanero. I have never seen an habanero like the one he had, both in shape and size. Usually they are smaller and rounder. The most common kind I find here in Mexico is the orange kind. But there are also, red, yellow, brown, and green. Each having a different flavor. I do not remember the flavor of the red one, because I never buy it. My favorite is the orange one and it is the one used the most.
@@farrex0 I agree with you. I love the fruity flavor of orange habaneros. I also grow the red "Caribbean" habs and they are great. Noticeably hotter, and sweet with almost a hint of smoky flavor to me.
This man is like one of those cool science teachers who says he needs volunteers for a dangerous experiment, volunteers himself first, and then explains to the class what is happening to him while he suffers. That's a G right there
Hes a thief that stole 7pot seeds that he then sold as his own creation the ''Carolina Reaper''. If he is such a 'mad scientist' as you say, why did he not release a spicier pepper than the stolen 7pot Primo (Carolina Reaper)? Where is this Pepper X he is talking about for almost a decade? Truth is, you drank the coolaid that Hot Ones served you, a turd nugget wrapped in pretty gifting wrap.
He's no different than say people in Thailand or India who eat what most of us would call really spicy food daily. They (and Ed) just get used to the heat so they have a different experience than we do. So he gets an enjoyment out of the Chocolate Bhutlah or the Mustard Apocalypse that I could never get because the heat would overwhelm the flavor, for me.
I love how excited, passionate and joyful he is, talking about flavors in depth and telling stories of breeding these beasts. Some of them being his own proud creations! Rich and diverse when it comes to taste and spiciness. Blessing us with his wisdom and love. He truly is the master of peppers.
He must be acquainted with simpsons seeds ( matt simpson) and the Clifton Chilli club.. in Engerland, not near Buckingham Palace. About 1hr 30 mins South southwest.
@@robertfish4052 I wouldn't doubt that he knows most of the seed growers worldwide. I didn't know England had a hot pepper scene. Where would someone learn more about that?
@@amelade Absolutely no idea what you're talking about. From his interviews not wearing gloves is not just him being used to breeding 500+ types of peppers, he mentioned that high oil/capsaicin can chew through some gloves.
@@amelade I'm with you. What exactly is he achieving? It just means he has to scrub the hell out of his hands before he can touch his face or eyes, or go to the bathroom. ...Or touch anything really
What I really enjoyed about this was actually talking about the flavors beyond the heat. So many people only care about how hot it is, and they act as if that is all that matters, as if there is no other flavor.
@@eyesofthecervino3366 I'm not a huge fan of heat, but I'm not against it overall. I like the idea of using it as another "taste" along with sweet/bitter/unami etc. I was thinking when I saw this of an absurd argument I got into. I don't like jalapenos in sushi. I just don't think it fits. I mentioned this, and got the "You just can't take the heat thing" And I was like, "No, it's not the heat, it's just bright and berry-like and it doesn't fit with the other tastes in the sushi, because it doesn't blend. IT's like jalapeno is the pepper that never lets you forget it's a type of berry." And the response . . . "Yeah you just can't take the heat." Whatever, just get this pepper out of my sushi, it doesn't play well with the rest.
@@pentalarclikesit822 that is one of the stupidest arguments I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen some pretty stupid arguments. One side giving totally reasonable information and opinions and the other being the ‘lol you aren’t as good as me’ stereotype.
Smokin' Ed Currie is an absolute legend, and he reportedly is growing other variants way hotter than the Reaper. The way he just puts down those peppers without even blinking and calls a ghost pepper "not even that hot" just tells you how much of a badass he is.
He used one of those secret hotter ones for the hot ones sauce. I think he called it pepper X or something like that. He probably has them kept behind until someone beats his record so he can just claim it right back
I remember buying a carolina reaper at my local store with my friend when we were 13 years old. I will never forget that moment i cut it open without gloves and touched my eye.
Once ate a fresh Carolina reaper and besides being in complete agony for two hours, I was so surprised by the taste. It tasted like a fruit punch with mostly pineapple. Very unique and crazy good taste.
@@pinchylobster7392 Well.. if you don't have a heart condition or something in that nature i think you are fine.. But trust me, you only do that once xD
@@pinchylobster7392 only the ones not eating them are gonna laugh. Trust me😅 And one more thing. Don't do it if you have other plans that day... It's potentially gonna mess up your belly.. did for me.
Ed is the best and although I try, and try, to eat hotter peppers I just can't handle it beyond 12k Scoville - just started eating hot 10 years ago and trying to get over that bump. Totally appreciate his passion for these peppers and I do really think that either peppers, crustaceans, etc, could be the cure for breaking down some forms of cancer. It's natural and much research is being done in this area. Kudos to Ed and his passion! Check out his origin story from years ago - classic!
Mouth is watering. I had a Carolina at my job during the dinner rush. Sous chef brought it cos I mentioned I like chile one day. 5 people ate one slice, only he and I were able to work while the rest were out, one dude shat himself and went home. It was my first kitchen job and I was only there for a week before I was tested like this, god I loved it. Kitchens man, they're crazy.
We always had different chillies and hot sauces in the kitchen at my old job. Our prep cook used to get new people by playing down how hot they were and having me eat some first since I'm a heat seeker and I have a great tolerance and love of hot peppers. He was on a mission to find a hot sauce or pepper that would put me down, which never happened.
@@yuhyuh7603 it was a good time for sure and yeah it lead to me and him getting pretty close to the point that we still stay in touch even though we don't work together anymore. Occasionally we will still grab bottles of good hot sauces for each other.
I tried my first Carolina Reaper a week ago. Ate the whole one (not understanding the consequences). A rough transition from Habanero indeed. I coughed, cried and laughed at the same time lol
@yuh yuh Sounds exactly like my time working as sous chef at several different restaurants as well. My first job, the head chef and back manager wanted to "induct" me into new job, gave me a green chili based green curry to eat. I sat there and ate it like it was ice cream, even licked the plate. Both of the guys kept staring at me dumbfounded. Told them they had to do better than that. Then proceeded to teach them about how to eat and make good heat based dishes. They were amazed at the process. They were used to just putting in "hot" peppers into their dishes, with no understanding of the amazing flavor that some of these chillies have all by themselves. I felt kinda weird settling in because head chef was Vietnamese and owner was Indian (from India). They came from the best chili pepper origins on the planet, lol. Anyways, we bonded well, made some beautiful and tasty menus, and when I left, we'd made that restaurant go from a so-so place to eat, to one of the top 10 rated in the city. I was proud of my work and was proud to exchange my knowledge of peppers to them and our patrons.
I order some of his peppers, sauces and seeds once or twice a year and he's always delivered and even gave me tips on which soil etc to use when planting the seeds in a separate mail. Highly recommend to order peppers etc from him.
This dude just out here handling these peppers without gloves on is a mad lad. I did that once with habaneros and that night when I took my contacts out I wanted to rip out my entire eye, despite how many times I had washed my hands in between! Can't even imagine what that pain would be like with a reaper.
Pro tip: Use high proof alcohol or a 5-to-1 ratio of water-to-bleach to help dissolve capsaicin from your skin before washing with dish soap for at least 30 seconds. Your eyeballs will thank you.
Did you wash with soap and use rubbing alcohol? That two method would have neutralized the capscacin oil very quickly. Just washing with water doesn't work.
@@TheDeathLove I used soap and water many times, but no rubbing alcohol. I now keep latex gloves under the sink whenever I'm cutting up peppers as I'm too afraid to go without again!
I love Smokin' Ed! Such a calm, nice guy, for someone who bred the last 3 hottest peppers on Earth! I'd love to have a beer with him and cook some spicy food
I love how he’s giving me a lesson on peppers because I love spicy things but I have a stomach condition. Meanwhile he’s eating them too . He’s giving me everything I need rn .
My freshman year of high school, we got to do a science project on whatever we wanted to, so I did it on hot peppers, and spent a lot of time watching and listening to smokin' Ed doing interviews and stuff, out of the entire class I was the most well put together project. I talked about how capsaicin boosts your metabolism, I also mentioned and referenced how capsaicin is being used for cancer treatment. I'd love to meet Ed one day, but as for now I'll just keep enjoying his many gifts to the world.
My duuuuuuuude. I’ve met him a few times, great guy. “All of this is happening because I like it” - Ed Currie No truer words have every been spoken when it comes to something you genuinely enjoy.
Yeah, I don’t normally pick up on the flavor profiles due to the heat. However, it’s the heat that I like about eating peppers. I do like the habanero peppers. For me it has the perfect amount of heat. I’ve tried hot sauces that are nothing but heat, and not enjoyable (to me anyways).
I remember a few years back. When the Carolina Reaper craze hit. It was the hottest pepper in the world. He did an interview where he claimed to have 3-4 other pepper breeds that were even hotter than the reaper. He said he wouldnt release them until another pepper dethroned the reaper. Then another pepper came along and the breeder claimed it was a million scovilles hotter than the reaper. Then, a few months later. Ed released pepper x which was 2 million scovilles hotter than the reaper. He even said that out of those 3-4 other breeds pepper x was the lowest in scovilles. So he has atleast 2 other pepper breeds that are even hotter than pepper x. This man has ALL the aces up his sleeve.
Yea, habanero is about max I would eat. Its usually around 300k scoville, which is more than 3x times of max heat jalapeño (that usually doesnt go over lets say 70-80k). That said I did have Carolina Reaper and if you dillute it enough, you get a lot of different flavours (and obviously a metric ton of heat). Still I think for most ppl habanero is usually the ceiling. Can be trained ofc. Some really hot peppers are kinda worth the pain and after a while one doesnt notice it that much.
Loved this video! This format is perfect - really interesting to see the history and structure, and the chart was a great visualization. I learned so much - thank you Ed Currie and Epicurious!
The fact that he is the same guy who made 1) the hottest pepper in the world 2) the last dab and so many more hot sauce for hot ones You know he is the one best for this kind of stuff
False. Troy Primeaux is responsible for the hottest pepper in the world, 7 Pot Primo. Ed Currie is responsible for renaming the thing and marketing it.
@@trijim9485 its not cap. The reaper and primo are practically identical. It's said that Troy sent out seeds early on and Ed got his hands on them. Primos came out several years before the reaper did
@@jasonstrickland9245 It's not definitive. It's hard to say. I feel like this could be put to bed by simply testing to determine if the two peppers come from the same origins. Both creators claim 2 different breeds were crossed to make their respective peppers.
I love seeing how passionate Ed is about peppers. I'm also a fan of flavorful heat and various peppers, but my tolerance is nowhere near his. 😅 We both agree that Scotch Bonnet peppers are awesome! I use all the Jamaican Scotch Bonnets in my cooking all the time. It adds great heat with so much flavor.
Y'all need to put in the title the fact that THE Smokin' Ed is reviewing this... some know the name much more than the face 😅😅 still love that he's here - the spiciest most chill man alive😊
I went through a hot pepper phase a few years ago. I built up to and cooked with ghost pepper regularly, and ate a whole Carolina reaper as a demonstration for a friend. I was ok with it, and didn’t require relief to tolerate it and cool down. I will say this- I was aware of where that pepper was in my body for the next 16 hours or so. Something in the area of my pancreas was angry for the next couple of days as well. I can say I’ve done it, and I believe I did it well, but would I do it again? Probably not.
Slow and steady wins the race. Having a "hot pepper phase" involving suddenly eating extremely spicy peppers when you're not used to it never ends well.
Mr. Ed and his peppers really opened my eyes to the benefits, flavor, and pain of all things hot. He really is a role model in my life. At my first job as a chef, the head chef and back manager wanted to "induct" me into the new job by giving me a green chili based green curry to eat. I sat there and ate it like it was ice cream, even licked the plate! Both of the guys kept staring at me dumbfounded. Told them they had to do better than that. I then proceeded to teach them about how to eat and make good heat based dishes. They were amazed at the process. They were used to just putting in "hot" peppers into their dishes, with no understanding of the amazing flavor that some of these chillies have all by themselves. I felt kinda weird settling in because the head chef was Vietnamese and owner was Indian (from India). They came from the best chili pepper origins on the planet, lol. Anyways, we bonded well, made some beautiful and tasty menus, and when I left, we'd made that restaurant go from a so-so place to eat, to one of the top 10 rated in the city. I was proud of my work and I was proud to provide my knowledge of peppers to them and our patrons.
I had a friend who used to grow hot peppers and had me try a ghost pepper rib he said the best way to not feel the heat is the back of the tongue those taste buds don't have a heat sensory so I tried it, he would always tear up and was waiting for me to. I never did and that was after 4 ribs. It really worked!
I’m soooooo glad someone mentioned the seeds have no heat! So many chefs tell you to remove the seeds if you don’t want it hot! Finally! Finally! We have it on RU-vid for the record.
Worst thing is.. anyone can test if this is true or not, and guess what. Still, so many people continues to propagates this. It's really annoying to see this in every video with peppers as ingredients.
I once grew Carolina Reapers using hydroponics just to check how hot they are and I totally agree with Ed, just a little tiny part of the pepper is enough to make you sweat like crazy. I also love the story that he replaced smokin' pot with eating hot peppers. What a legend :D
@@Runner8617 I remember that too, he kicked drugs but missed the endorphins and crazy hot peppers did the trick so he eventually created the Carolina Reaper pepper
I'm absolutely not a pepper connoisseur and I know very little about them, and my tolerance for heat is around average, but I once ate an entire carolina reaper on the back of a dare. My first thought was that the flavour was wonderful, very fruity and floral. That lasted about five seconds, right up until my throat caught fire, which lasted the next fifteen agonising minutes 😂 My point is, I can appreciate that the pepper was made not just to be hot, but a pleasantly flavoured fruit in its own right. So many hot sauces and peppers are just hot for the sake of hot, and taste of nothing at best, or are unpleasant tasting at worst.
Like Da Bomb on hot ones. That's made only to be as hot as the sun and supposedly tastes really bad. Pretty sure there hasn't been a single guest on that show that actually liked it lmao
@@rminter44 I got lucky, actually. One of the prerequisites to agreeing with the dare was that I got to go buy a 2 litre carton of milk beforehand. I drank the whole thing in the first ten minutes of eating the pepper. I don't know if you've ever had that much milk before, but about thirty minutes later I vomited the whole thing back up, reaper included. So you know, "lucky".
I felt the same with those Korean spicy noodles that everyone was doing challenge videos with. The original ones are actually really nice and flavourful as well as really spicy, but I feel like since all the 2x and 3x ones are just hot for the sake of being hot
Can’t believe I watched this in full but it was wonderful! Full of information and I am amazed at him and his tolerance towards heat. I THINK JALAPEÑOS ARE SPICY and I might have eaten other peppers when eating Korean/Indian food, but I look horrible when I eat spicy food. He looks like he’s eating an apple. 😂 I am growing super hot peppers for fun (in addition to sweet that I actually eat) so this gave me great information on what to try growing next year. I give them away but I can feel my fingers tingle when I harvest. 🥵 Major kudos to those who can taste flavors instead of just burning pain. 😆
Despite the fact that he’s only taking tiny slices of those super hot peppers, it just blows my mind he just chews through them like that. I really like spicy food, and I know just how hot those peppers are, and that hit me like a truck.
You should thank Troy Primeaux and not Ed Currie, Currie is a hack who benefited off of what Primeaux created. For the record, the real pepper is called 7 Pot Primo. Also, there have been hotter peppers for quite some time, the issue is stability.
I've been a knowledgeable chef for almost 20 years. And I prefer real heat personally. Ed got these flavor profiles down to a tee. Superb explanations.
FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT!!!! All these chefs saying “the seed is where the heat is” YALL ARE PROFESSIONAL COOKS AND YOU CSNT FIGURE OUT WHERE THR HEAT IN A PEPPER COMES FROM??!!
I've been growing reapers for 6 years now, and I have one isolated from my place and growing plot in a giant pot at my moms that I've over wintered 3 years now and take my seeds from. I'm a freak like Ed it must be a genetic thing. it doesn't matter how spicy something is. I just get a pleasant warm tingle, so I'm lucky to be able to actually taste the peppers! This man is a God and gave me my favorite food!
Have you tried the Merciless Pepper of Quetzalacatenango, also known as the Guatemalan Insanity Pepper? It is an insanely hot type of pepper grown deep in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum. It's occasionally prepared at Springfield's Annual Chili Cook-Off. The peppers are so hot that the only way to eat them is to coat one's tongue and mouth with a protective substance such as candle wax, and those who manage to consume them will experience hallucinations.
There's a cactus-like plant called Euphobia Resinfera! It has Resinferatoxin! Resinferatoxin is at 16 BILLION Scoville heat units! Not million, Billion. It's so spicy, it's 6,000 times Spicier than Pepper X, the spiciest pepper. Resinferatoxin could cause chemical burns and it's so strong, it fries spice receptors. While capsaicin is safe, Resinferatoxin is deadly and can even kill. Pure capsaicin is 16,000,000 Scoville while Resinferatoxin is 16,000,000,000 Scoville, so Resinferatoxin is 1,000 times spicier than pure Capsaicin.
Fun fact, he mentioned the angostura bitters and the moruga scorpion pepper (the world's former hottest pepper) both are from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹. I love this guy's calm and subtle delivery. Blah blah blah. Hope you guys use him in the future.
the human body is astounding. you can adapt to the heat as long as you eat it regularly.... of course you have to get passed the pain for a few weeks anyway.
Once you been eating hot peppers for awhile, you realize ghost peppers aren't that hot. I grew up eating hot peppers and to me they barely have any spice
I grow reaper at home and love it's fruitiness. Ed and his last dab sauce got me hooked on the taste xD did not know he was trying to possibly fight cancer with it. Makes me love it more
I love how the Carolina Reaper just turns into a flame when you cut it and remains that way with each cut. That thing is letting you know it's a dangerous and hot pepper 😂
Hey Ed, wanted to tell You that Your co-op with Hot Ones was how I found You and through You I have found a true love to hot peppers. I have always liked a little bit spicier food, but now thanks to You I am growing my own reapers and chocolate variety of any pepper is my absolute favorite.
This man is indirectly responsible for a lot of my coworkers suffering last summer. I grew the chilies and they accepted the challenge of eating them. It was hilarious.