Chocolate Primotalii vs. Carolina Reaper: which tested hotter
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Chocolate Primotalii tested about 1.4 times as hot as our pure Carolina Reaper. The Chocolate Primotalii in our SpiceQuest chili grinder came back from the lab at 1,361,754 Scoville units, and no. 9 Reaper X, the pure Reaper, at 975,612. The gap is 386,142 units, about 40 percent.
Two separate varieties
The Carolina Reaper was bred by Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina. The Primotalii is credited to Chris Saunders, an independent breeder in the United Kingdom, as a cross of 7 Pot Primo and Fatalii.
Red was the original color of the Primotalii. Chocolate, golden and mustard forms came later, and Jim Morrow, one of the first growers to offer Primotalii seed, is credited with working to stabilize the chocolate and golden ones. Chocolate here means the brown color of the ripe pod. There is no cacao in the grinder, and What makes a pepper "chocolate" explains the word.
Each pepper has its own page: Chocolate Primotalii and Carolina Reaper.
Dark and earthy against sharp and peppery
Chocolate Primotalii has a fast, forceful burn. Under it the flavor is deep and earthy, with notes of cocoa and dried fruit and a slight bitterness like dark chocolate or espresso. Try it on a pot of chili, braised beef or black beans.
Reaper X goes the other way. The taste is sharp and peppery, with a little citrus. The heat is immediate and sweeps across the whole mouth. Try it on noodle soup.
Where the other Reapers land
We have tested a brown Reaper too. Chocolate Reaper, sold in the Chocolate Kit, tested at 1,087,318. Chocolate Primotalii is about 1.25 times that.
| Grinder | Tested Scoville units |
|---|---|
| No. 9 Reaper X | 975,612 |
| Chocolate Reaper | 1,087,318 |
| Chocolate Primotalii | 1,361,754 |
All three are pure pepper. Our no. 10 Carolina Reaper tested higher, at 2,235,842, but it may contain some natural capsaicin extract, so it is not part of this comparison. The full ranking is in the Scoville chart.
Published heat claims for the Primotalii run around 2.2 million Scoville units. They are not an official record, and our lot tested well under them.
Which to buy
Reaper X is the place to start. It is a numbered grinder and the pure version of the famous pepper.
Chocolate Primotalii suits someone who already uses a Reaper at the table and wants more heat with a darker taste. It is not a first superhot. It is a limited release, and the product page shows whether it is available.
Anything over 1,000,000 Scoville units needs care. Start with one press, keep it away from children and read the ultra-hot safety page before you open it.
Questions people ask
Is Chocolate Primotalii hotter than a Carolina Reaper? In our tests, yes. Chocolate Primotalii tested at 1,361,754 Scoville units and our pure Reaper, no. 9 Reaper X, at 975,612.
Does Chocolate Primotalii taste like chocolate? There is no cacao in it. The name is about the brown color of the ripe pod. Our tasting notes do include cocoa and dried fruit, with a slight bitterness.
Sources
- PepperGeek, page on Primotalii peppers, for the credit to Chris Saunders, the parent varieties and Jim Morrow's work on the chocolate and golden forms