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Comment by A_D_E_P_T | Hacker News Reader

Apparently the Carolina Reaper, which is significantly weaker than Pepper X, has a capsaicin content of around 100mg/g [1] -- and each one weighs around 5 grams.

10% of the Carolina Reaper, by weight, is capsaicin. I think that this is why all high-capsaicin peppers look so shriveled and stunted -- the capsaicin itself interferes with normal structural development.

To put it into perspective: Your regular jalapeno pepper has a capsaicin content of 0.22mg/g.

[1] - https://mendelnet.cz/pdfs/mnt/2017/01/96.pdf

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Most of the capsaicin is in the pith. On some peppers the pith is not really differentiated from the flesh other than the ribs that jut out and where the seeds hang. On the reaper and some of these other hot peppers, the pith is a very noticeable membrane covering the entire inside surface of the pepper. The flesh of the pepper is actually very thin, so you end up with with a lot of pith and not that much more flesh. That's how the percentage can get so high.

Superhots also produce capsaicin in the fruit, unique from non-superhots. Removing the pith from a ghost, reaper, etc., will significantly reduce the heat but still contain a lot of capsaicin from vesicles present in the fruit itself.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279564263_Novel_For...

Yep, I tried this out with a batch by removing the membrane entirely. It was still extremely hot. Not worth the effort.

from the wikipedia page:

  The extensive curves and ridges of a Pepper X chili create more surface area for the plant placenta and locules to grow and retain capsaicin, adding to the intensity of heat experienced when a Pepper X is eaten.[2].

So it could be an intentionally bred feature

Yep. Scovilles are (roughly) ppm capsaicin x 16, so Pepper X is about 170mg/g.

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