Armageddon
SpeciesLandrace hybrid
Hybrid parentageCapsicum chinense × Capsicum frutescens
BreederSalvatore Genovese
OriginUK
Heat Exceptionally hot
Scoville scale1,300,000 SHU

The Armageddon chili pepper is the world's first F1[lower-alpha 1] 'Super Hot' chili pepper.[2] It is a hybrid of C. chinense and C. frutescens. Armageddon was developed by hot pepper grower and developer, Salvatore Genvoese of the UK. It was introduced to the UK market in 2019. The pepper holds a rating of 1.3 million SHU (Scoville Heating Units).

Development and distribution

Armageddon is a landrace,[lower-alpha 2] and a hybrid of C. chinense and C. frutescens.[4] One of the ‘Super Hot’ chilies,[5] the fruity-flavored pepper was cultivated to be a quick growing and easily harvested pepper, making it a leading candidate for the growing of 'Super Hots' at scale. In 2019, the developer of the Armageddon promoted it as "…the hottest commercially grown chili in the UK…" although the heat level was well below the then Guinness World Records individual pepper heat leaders, the Naga Viper, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper, and the Carolina Reaper.[6]

It is distributed in Britain by the Tozer Seeds company, and Burpee in the US. Its creator, Genvoese, was the developer several years earlier of the Komodo Dragon pepper, another hot chili labeled an "exceptionally hot" at the time of its introduction to the market (2014).[7]

Appearance and pungency

The Armageddon plant spreads to an average width of 1.5 feet, and grows to an average height of 2.5 feet. One plant will produce fruits up to 2" long, that require up to 75 days to reach maturity, much quicker than that of the Carolina Reaper. The Armageddon pepper has been classified as 'Exceptionally Hot', and is rated on the Scoville heat scale[lower-alpha 3] at 1.3 million units, which is about 400 times hotter than the typical jalapeño pepper rating.[6][8]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ F1 designates a pepper as a first generation super hot; other super hots preceding its introduction were developed and stabilized over a span of five to seven generations.[1][2]
  2. ↑ A landrace is a locally adapted, domesticated plant variety.[3]
  3. ↑ The Scoville scale measures the capsaicin content in a hot pepper.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 The Taste Bud : Kevin ingests an Armageddon pepper and shares his pain; Food and Dine; accessed December 2023
  2. 1 2 What it's Like to eat a 1.3 million Scoville Unit Armageddon Pepper; Kevin Gibson blog, online article; accessed December 2023
  3. ↑ Zeven, A. C. (1998). "Landraces: A Review of Definitions and Classifications". Euphytica. 104 (2): 127–139. doi:10.1023/A:1018683119237. S2CID 20631394. Abstract and first two pages are available for free access.
  4. ↑ "Armageddon Arrives : Rocketing pepper demand drives Tesco launch of hottest UK-grown variety". foodingredientsfirst.com. July 30, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Lessley (April 3, 2013). "Growing Pain: Chilihead fanatics are locked in a race to cultivate the world's hottest pepper". Modern Farmer. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Is the Armageddon Chili Pepper the Hottest Pepper in the World?; article; The Chili Expert online; thechilliexpert.com; accessed December 2023
  7. ↑ Smithers, Rebecca (August 11, 2015). "UK's Hottest Ever Commercially Grown Chili Pepper to go on Sale". The Guardian. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  8. ↑ Burpee’s New ‘Armageddon’ Pepper is Only for the Bravest of Vegetable Gardeners; Stallsmith, Audrey; Updated Mar 11, 2021; online article; Bob Vila Home Advice Website; retrieved December 2023
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