What is the Trinidad moruga scorpion?

The Trinidad moruga scorpion (Capsicum chinense) is native to the district of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago. On February 13, 2012, New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute identified the Trinidad moruga scorpion as the hottest chili in the world, with a mean heat of more than 1.2 million Scoville heat units (SHUs) and individual plants with a heat of more than 2 million SHUs. According to the Chile Pepper Institute, the previous record holder was the bhut jolokia of India as they never accepted the Infinity chili and Naga Viper pepper that were previous record holders per Guinness World Records. The current world record holder is the Carolina Reaper with 1.57 million SHU.

The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers—such as the jalapeño, the bhut jolokia, and the world's current hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper or other spicy foods as reported in Scoville heat units (SHU), a function of capsaicin concentration. Capsaicin is one of many related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. His method, devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test.