Hottest Commercial Chilli in the UK

There’s a new chilli on the scene for people who think they can handle their Scovilles – and it’s taking no prisoners. Tesco say they have sourced the hottest chilli pepper ever to be grown in the UK (commercially – goodness knows what sort of monsters are being created in people’s back gardens) – and they are, perhaps recklessly, offering it to their innocent shoppers to buy. 

The aptly named Komodo Dragon measures 1.4million on the Scoville scale – comparing to 3,500 Scovilles for a jalapeno pepper and 350,000 for a Scotch Bonnet. In other words, it will blow your damn head off with a blast similar to that of China.

Tesco’s chilli pepper buyer (so much job envy) said: ‘In recent years we’ve had the fearsome Dorset Naga, the searing Bhut Jolokia and the mouth-numbing Trinidad Scorpion.But they all pale in comparison to the UK’s latest commercially grown chilli pepper – the mighty Komodo Dragon – which puts the others in the shade.’

Tesco say the Komodo is particularly interesting because it has a delayed reaction that lulls you into a sense of false security – aka you think you can handle it like a boss, you’re totally fine, whatever. Then suddenly, WHAM! ‘At first you can taste a wonderful hot fruitiness,’ she says, menacingly. ‘But then after about 10 seconds the full might of this little demon hits you and your whole mouth is aglow.’ And by aglow, she means burning with the fire of a thousand suns. ‘This is definitely a chilli pepper for connoisseurs and for those who are experienced in eating really, superhot food,’ she says in an understatement. The Komodo Dragon is grown in Bedfordshire and will be sold in 500 Tesco stores for £1. Just please don’t say I didn’t warn you.