Trinidad Moruga scorpion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trinidad Moruga scorpion |
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| Species | Capsicum chinense |
| Breeder | Wahid Ogeer |
| Origin | Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Heat |  Exceptionally hot |
| Scoville scale | 1,200,000 average SHU |
The Trinidad Moruga scorpion (Capsicum chinense) is a very hot chili pepper. It comes from the village of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago. This pepper is known as one of the spiciest chilies in the world.
In 2012, experts at New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute said the Trinidad Moruga scorpion was the hottest chili. It had an average heat of 1.2 million Scoville heat units (SHUs). However, by 2017, the Carolina Reaper was named the hottest pepper by Guinness World Records. It measured 1.6 million SHU.
What Makes This Pepper Special?
A person named Wahid Ogeer from Trinidad created the yellow type of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.
Paul Bosland is an expert on chili peppers. He is also the director of the Chile Pepper Institute. He once said about this pepper, "You take a bite. It doesn't seem so bad, and then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it is quite nasty." This means the heat grows stronger over time.
Growing This Hot Pepper
Besides its extreme heat, the Trinidad Moruga scorpion has a sweet, fruity taste. This makes it a unique mix of sweet and hot. You can grow this pepper from seeds in many parts of the world.
In places like North America, the growing season depends on the weather. It starts after the last hard frost in spring. It ends with the first hard frost in the fall. Freezing weather will kill the plant. But if it doesn't freeze, these plants are perennials. This means they can grow all year long, just slower in colder weather.
See also
In Spanish: Trinidad Moruga scorpion para niños
