Komodo Dragon Pepper

Fruity and sweet at first, followed by a slow-building, intense, and lingering burn similar to 7-pot peppers.

The Komodo Dragon Pepper was bred and grown commercially in the United Kingdom by Salvatore Genovese on his farm in Blunham, Bedfordshire. It was introduced in 2015 and quickly became one of the hottest peppers sold in UK supermarkets such as Tesco. The pods are elongated, slim, and approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches long, featuring twisted, pocked skin that ends in a slight point—resembling a cross between a habanero and a ghost or 7-pot pepper. They start green and ripen to a bright, deep red. The flavor begins with pleasant fruity and sweet notes, followed by a delayed, intense, and lingering heat that builds slowly and packs a prolonged punch, much like a 7-pot variety. At 1.4–2.2 million Scoville Heat Units, it sits among the world’s hottest commercially available peppers, though it often measures toward the lower to middle of that range. The plants grow up to 4 feet tall and produce high yields of these fiery red pods. It is best suited for extreme hot sauces, salsas, or adding intense heat to dishes in tiny quantities, as even a small amount delivers massive spiciness.

Developed in 2015 by UK pepper grower Salvatore Genovese as one of the hottest commercially grown chilies in Britain at the time; sold in major supermarkets like Tesco.