What a Primotalii is and how hot it tests
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A Primotalii is a very hot pepper credited as a cross of 7 Pot Primo and Fatalii. The one we sell as a pure pepper, Chocolate Primotalii, tested at 1,361,754 Scoville units in a SpiceQuest chili grinder. That is about 1.4 times our pure Carolina Reaper, no. 9 Reaper X, at 975,612.
Where the pepper comes from
The Primotalii is credited to Chris Saunders, an independent breeder in the United Kingdom, as a cross of 7 Pot Primo and Fatalii begun around 2012. Both parent names show in the word Primotalii.
The long tail, which growers call a stinger, is the pepper's signature. It is reported to have appeared in the second generation of the cross and was then selected for.
Red was the original color. 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. Our grinders use three of the four. Chocolate Primotalii is sold as a pure pepper, Red Primotalii goes into three of our blends and Mustard Primotalii goes into Atomic Gator. Whether the chocolate form is only a color is its own question, covered in Is Chocolate Primotalii just a brown Primotalii? Chocolate here is the brown color of the ripe pod, with no cacao involved. What makes a pepper "chocolate" explains the color.
The claim and the lab result
Published heat claims for the Primotalii run around 2.2 million Scoville units. They are not an official record. Our lot of dried flakes tested at 1,361,754, about 840,000 under those claims.
It is still Ultrahot on our tiers, 1,000,000 to 2,999,999, and it is the second-hottest grinder we sell with no extract, after Dragon's Breath at 1,418,900. The full list is on the Scoville chart, and the pepper has its own Chocolate Primotalii profile.
Two grinders with Primotalii in the name
| Grinder | Tested Scoville units | What is in it |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Primotalii | 1,361,754 | Pure pepper |
| PepperPlegic Chocolate Primotalii | about 6,000,000 | A blend that contains natural capsaicin extract |
Chocolate Primotalii is pepper and nothing else. The burn is fast and forceful. Under it the flavor is deep and earthy, with cocoa, dried fruit and a slight bitterness like dark chocolate or espresso. It is a limited release, and the product page shows whether it is available.
PepperPlegic Chocolate Primotalii is a blend. Its product page says it pairs Chocolate Primotalii with Fatalii and adds natural capsaicin extract. It tested at about 6,000,000, about 4.4 times the pure pepper. The blend has its own PepperPlegic profile, and What natural capsaicin extract is lists every grinder that contains it.
Which one to buy
Choose Chocolate Primotalii if you already use a Reaper at the table and want more heat with a darker taste. Try it on a pot of chili, braised beef or black beans. It is not a first superhot.
Choose the PepperPlegic blend only if you already eat superhots and want far more. The two are set side by side in Chocolate Primotalii vs. PepperPlegic.
Both are over 1,000,000 Scoville units. Start with one press, keep them away from children and read the ultra-hot safety page before you open either.
Questions people ask
Is a 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 the Primotalii hold a heat record? No. Published claims of around 2.2 million Scoville units are not an official record. Ours tested at 1,361,754.
Sources
- PepperGeek, page on Primotalii peppers, for the credit to Chris Saunders, the parent varieties, the stinger and Jim Morrow's work on the chocolate and golden forms