In the debate about the hottest product in the world, it is necessary to differentiate between the sauces themselves and the chiles with which they are made.

The degree of heat is measured with the Scoville scale (SHU), which ranges from 0 to 16 million. A hot bell pepper from Padrón is around 5,000 SHU.

The world's hottest product is ‘Blair's 16 Million Reserve’, with the maximum grade of 16 million SHU. Only 999 bottles were created.

Blair's 16 Million Reserve' is pure capsaicin, the chemical compound that gives chili peppers their spiciness. It can only be handled with protection and extreme caution.

The hottest sauce at present is the Mad Dog 357 Plutonium No. 9 with a value of 9 million on the SHU scale. It costs 100€.

This sauce is 60% pure bell pepper and is usually solidified. The container must be heated to extract a drop that must be diluted before being consumed.

When it comes to chili peppers, the hottest is Pepper X, 2.6 million SHU, which two years ago unseated the legendary Carolina Reaper, 2.2 million SHU.

Both are produced by the same creator, Ed Currie, in South Carolina. The Pepper X entered the Guinness Book of Records on October 16, 2023.

Pepper X seeds and plants are not yet commercialized. Therefore, Carolina Reaper Chili is still the king ingredient in the hottest sauces.

The third in contention is the 2.48M SHU Dragon's Breath, which was created by accident by breeder Mike Smith in Wales.