Ghost Pepper vs Carolina Reaper Jerky: Which Hot Bag Is for You?
Ghost pepper is hot; Carolina Reaper is roughly twice as hot and lingers longer. A ghost pepper bag is the one most people who "like spicy" actually enjoy finishing. A Reaper bag is for the person who already knows they want the hottest thing in the room.
The peppers
The ghost pepper, or bhut jolokia, was the first chili to pass 1 million Scoville units and held the world record from 2007 for several years. The Carolina Reaper took the record in 2013 and kept it for a decade, averaging about 1.6 million. Those are pepper numbers; a jerky bag's heat also depends on how much pepper the maker uses and how much sugar sits in front of it. That is why our meter rates the bag you open, not the pepper on the label.
Our four hot bags, ranked
Hot, a 4 on the meter: the Settlers Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky, sweet first and then a single clear ghost-pepper burn, and the Jerky Hut Kowifornia Gal habanero teriyaki, where the heat is habanero over a tropical teriyaki. XXX Hot, a 5: the Chernobyl, which stacks red, ghost and cayenne peppers, and the two Carolina Reapers. If the question is purely "which is hottest," the answer is the Reapers, and the Carolina Reaper jerky guide explains what that feels like.
How to choose
Pick ghost pepper if you want heat you can eat through a movie. Pick the Reaper if you want to hand someone a piece and watch. Pick the Chernobyl if you want ghost-pepper flavor turned all the way up without the Reaper's specific sting. Or stop choosing: the Heat Seeker preset puts the Settlers Ghost Pepper, the Chernobyl, the Settlers Carolina Reaper and the Kowifornia Gal in one 4-pack, which is the cheapest way to find your own ceiling.
Quick answers
Is ghost pepper jerky hotter than habanero jerky?
Yes. Ghost peppers are around 1 million Scoville units; habaneros top out near 350,000. Our ghost pepper and habanero bags are both a 4 on the meter because the recipes temper them differently.
What is the mildest "hot" jerky you carry?
The Cowgirl (a hot hickory-smoked bag) and the Settlers Sweet & Spicy Brisket, both a 4, with sugar well out in front of the heat.
Can I mix hot and mild bags in one order?
Yes. The box builder lets you mix any 3, 4 or 6 bags, and heat is marked on every tile.
The bags in this guide
- Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky — 7 oz bag, $25, heat 4/5 (Hot)
- Chernobyl Extremely Hot Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky — 8 oz bag, $25, heat 5/5 (XXX Hot)
- Carolina Reaper Beef Jerky — 7 oz bag, $25, heat 5/5 (XXX Hot)
- Kowifornia Gal Hot Habanero Teriyaki Beef Jerky — 8 oz bag, $25, heat 4/5 (Hot)