Iceland has released ready meals with Pepper X in it, which was found to be the hottest chilli in the world by Guinness World Records – and it seriously packs a punch
Anything you need ID for to prove you’re an adult, there’s usually a reason for it.
And in the case of Iceland’s brand new 18+ ready meals, it’s because they’re so spicy that they’re going to knock your socks off. I like to think I can handle spice, and I firmly believe that most meals can be made a little better with a sprinkling of chilli flakes, or lashings of hot sauce, depending on what it is.
But with Iceland’s ready meals promising serious heat, with the world’s hottest chilli, Pepper X, included in them, I was intrigued. They share that Pepper X tops 2.69 million Scoville heat units, which is 53,760% hotter than a jalapeño. This sounded pretty hardcore to me, but I was sure I’d still be able to handle it.
With people taking to X, formerly Twitter, to say they “couldn’t resist the temptation to destroy my guts and anything connected” as they bought the ready meals, the Iceland account joked that they hoped they “had bought milk as well” because they’re just so hot.
“Can anyone explain why people feel the need to eat the hottest chillies? In my opinion, it’s ‘this meal is great but do you know what would be better? Burning the hell out of my tongue so much, my eyes start to bleed’!” someone else penned, wondering why Iceland had made the spicy ready meal. They responded, jokily, saying: “They taste amazing as well until you can’t feel your tongue anymore!”
So, what meals are available? Currently, there’s a seriously spicy chicken tikka masala or a chilli mac & cheese on offer for £4 each. I opted for the chilli mac & cheese as it was what my local Iceland had in the freezer, but I would’ve been intrigued to try the curry, too.
That was until I actually tried the mac & cheese for myself. At first, I thought my spice tolerance had gone up massively as I didn’t even feel a tingle on my tongue. But it was a false alarm, as seconds later, my mouth was flooded with a sensation that was less than pleasant. And that was before I’d even tackled the beef chilli at the bottom.
To be honest, I didn’t even bother putting this meal on a plate because I knew the likelihood of me eating more than a few mouthfuls was very small, and I made the right call as it was unbearably hot.
Forcing myself to take a mouthful of the chilli, the pain got worse and worse. I was desperately trying not to give in and take a drink, thinking that I could ride the wave of pain, but my whole mouth was tingling, and I needed water, stat. I took a little sip, and it seemed to calm my mouth right down, so I thought I’d give the ready meal one more try and took another mouthful – this time with the macaroni and chilli altogether.
That was the last straw, and I needed a drink so desperately thanks to the heat. I downed 500ml of water, which made me feel incredibly bloated and uncomfortable, which, combined with the streaming eyes and tingling mouth, wasn’t the best sensation in the world.
There’s no denying that with a little less heat, it probably would be a tasty meal – and if you adore spice I’d definitely recommend you try this – but I think it was a one time thing for me personally.
Matthew Worsely, Head Development Chef at Iceland Foods said: “Our customers love spice, and they are always pushing us to turn up the heat. So, this time, we have developed a range that will not disappoint. Our Pepper X range is unlike anything we’ve offered to our customers before. It’s intense, it’s fiery, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.
“With intense heat comes great responsibility, so to ensure only the most experienced spice enthusiasts can take on the challenge, we’ve decided to limit sales to customers aged 18 and over”.
Pepper X was created by Smokin’ Ed Currie, the mastermind behind the infamous Carolina Reaper. Pepper X earned the title of the World’s Hottest Chilli from Guinness World Records in 2023, and was only available in sauce form until now.
Anyway, it’s safe to say that I’ll be avoiding Pepper X for the foreseeable, as I think the hottest chilli in the world is probably too hot for me. I’ll stick to jalapeños and chilli flakes!
