A Welsh grower has accidentally created the world's hottest chilli ever recorded after trying to come up with something to show at next week's Chelsea Flower Show.
The fruit grower from Denbighshire, Mike Smith, said he was “chuffed” if a little “surprised” after scientists indicated that his 'Devil’s Breath' chilli had surpassed the existing American record holder by a long shot.
The chilli measures at 2.48 million on the Scoville heat scale, ahead of the 2.2 million achieved by the Carolina Reaper.
The Scoville scale is used to measure the spiciness of chillies.
Mr Smith said: "I’ve tried it on the tip of my tongue and it just burned and burned."
The one-metre-high tree is now being installed at the Royal Horticultural Society’s London showground, where it will be in contention for the Plant of the Year award.
It was grown in collaboration with scientists from Nottingham Trent University, who believe oil from the chilli’s is so potent it could act as an alternative anaesthetic for those allergic to conventional drugs.
He said he had not tasted it as it "would not be a pleasant sensation," adding, "the heat is beyond".
He has applied to Guinness World Records and is currently awaiting confirmation that the chilli is the world's hottest.
