Britain’s unprecedented heatwave isn’t only affecting the country’s residents but also its produce. Britain’s notorious chilli pepper, the Carolina Reaper is set to increase in temperature and be 20 per cent more potent this year, thanks to the country’s unusually high amount of sunshine. One of the world’s hottest commercially grown chilli’s, the Carolina Reaper measures 2.2 million Scoville units on the temperature scale, compared to Tabasco sauce which only measures at most 5,000 Scovilles.
The pepper which will be released in Tesco stores in the coming weeks has caused the retailer to issue a statement warning consumers about the increase in potency. “This year’s batch of Carolina Reapers are absolute dynamite and the good news for customers is that they’re likely to need less when cooking because they are so strong.” Not only has Britain’s increase in sunshine made the chilli hotter but it was also improved this year’s crop, with more peppers than usual expected.
