Komodo Dragon (chili pepper) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Komodo Dragon |
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| Species | capsicum chinense |
| Breeder | Salvatore Genovese |
| Origin | Blunham, UK |
| Heat |  Exceptionally hot |
| Scoville scale | 1,400,000 - 2,200,000 SHU |
The Komodo Dragon is a super hot chili pepper. It is known as one of the hottest peppers in the world. This fiery pepper can reach over 1.4 million units on the Scoville scale.
Contents
What is the Komodo Dragon Chili?
The Komodo Dragon chili pepper was first introduced in 2015. It quickly became famous for its extreme heat. This pepper was created by a breeder named Salvatore Genovese. It first went on sale in Tesco stores in the UK.
How Hot Is It?
The heat of chili peppers is measured using the Scoville scale. The Komodo Dragon pepper measures between 1.4 million and 2.2 million Scoville heat units (SHU). To give you an idea, a regular jalapeño pepper is only about 2,000 to 8,000 SHU. This means the Komodo Dragon is hundreds of times hotter!
Where Did It Come From?
This super hot pepper was developed in Blunham, UK. It is a type of capsicum chinense. This is a species of chili pepper known for producing very hot varieties. Other famous hot peppers, like the Habanero and Ghost pepper, also belong to this group.
What Makes It Special?
The Komodo Dragon chili is famous for its "delayed reaction." When you first taste it, you might notice a fruity flavor. But then, after about 10 seconds, the real heat kicks in. This intense heat spreads through your mouth. Eleanor Mansell, who buys chili peppers for Tesco, described it well. She said, "At first you can taste a wonderful hot fruitiness, but then after about 10 seconds the full might of this little demon hits you."
This unique delayed heat made the Komodo Dragon very popular. It became Tesco's most popular pepper in 2015. Because of its popularity, it was brought back for sale in 2016.
