In this adorable phone interview from 2015, Troy Primeaux hints that he may believe that the two varieties stem from the same pepper, though he doesn’t say anything definitive. The 2 varieties look very similar and both have extreme heat. Internet discussions have put into question the similarities between the Carolina Reaper and the 7-Pot Primo. Which is hotter, the Carolina Reaper or the 7 Pot Primo? The pods look similar, have very high heat levels, but one is much more famous.Ĭarolina Reaper vs 7 Pot Primo Controversy All 7 Pot peppers are seriously hot, and Primeaux’s cross is the king of them all. The original 7 Pot pepper got its name from the local Trinidadian legend that each pepper could spice up 7 pots of stew. Various hot peppers, including 7 Pot Primos. The unusual, gnarly shape pairs well with the overwhelming heat level. The pepper is bright red and resembles a nuclear explosion’s mushroom cloud. By comparison, a habanero pepper has around 250,000 SHUs, and a jalapeño has just 5,000. Simply put Troy Primeaux has stated that the 7-Pot Primo pepper comes in around 1,500,000 SHUs, making it one of the hottest peppers ever officially tested.

It is certainly among the hottest peppers in the world. We know that the 7 Pot Primo is a cross between 2 very spicy peppers, but even Primeaux was surprised with the result. It has strikingly similar look and heat level to the Carolina Reaper, and some speculate that may not be a coincidence. There is also some controversy about the 7-Pot Primo pepper. Known to be a cross between the Naga Morich and the Trinidad 7-Pot pepper, the 7 Pot Primo is, of course, seriously hot. While studying at the University of Louisiana, he carefully cross bred pepper varieties to produce the distinctive and super-spicy 7 Pot Primo. Primeaux shifted to horticulture in the early 2000s, reportedly in need of a more family-appropriate lifestyle. From thrashing out in the 90s as part of the Deep South psychedelic rock band Santeria, to breeding one of the world’s hottest peppers, the 7 Pot Primo pepper. Troy Primeaux has led an interesting life.

Carolina reaper red pepper scoville