The Infinity Chili is a superhot hybrid cultivar of Capsicum chinense developed in England by breeder Nick Woods. It briefly held the Guinness World Record for the hottest chili pepper in 2011 with over one million Scoville heat units. Known for its sweet-fruity flavor and prolonged intense burn.
The Infinity Chili pepper, also known as the Infinity Pepper or Infinity Chilli, is a hybrid cultivar of the Capsicum chinense species originating from Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. Created by Nick Woods of Fire Foods through crossbreeding in a greenhouse rather than intentional breeding, it gained international fame in February 2011 when it briefly claimed the Guinness World Record for the world's hottest chili pepper. Initial testing at the University of Warwick's Crop Centre recorded 1,067,286 SHU, with later crops reaching 1,176,182 SHU. The peppers are compact, up to 2 inches long, bulbous with a pointed tail, and feature rough, wrinkled, pocked skin that ripens to a vibrant scorching red. They offer an initial sweet and fruity taste before unleashing a slow-building, prolonged heat that can last for an extended period. Due to their extreme potency, handling requires gloves to prevent skin irritation. Culinary applications include ultra-hot sauces, fiery curries such as the 'Widower' curry, salsas, pickling, and chili oils. The plants grow 2-4 feet tall, requiring full sun, well-drained fertile soil, and warm temperatures typical of chinense varieties. While no longer the record holder, it remains a notable superhot pepper among chili enthusiasts.
No photos of Infinity Chili here yet. Got one? Share it with us.
Developed around 2010 by Nick Woods of Fire Foods in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. It resulted from crossbreeding in a greenhouse among thousands of varieties and briefly held the Guinness World Record for the hottest chili in February 2011 before being surpassed by the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T and later others.
Promote a product tied to Infinity Chili? This slot is open.
Reach out →Sweet and fruity on the initial bite, followed by a slow-building intense burn that lingers for a long time.
Huge shout-out to the breeders, growers, researchers, and seed savers linked below — their independent work is what lets us fact-check our own. Go visit them.
These references are used to verify what we publish — not as the source of the content itself. Seed catalogs, breeder pages, research papers, and cultivar databases let us cross-check every fact before it lands here. Open any card to read the original or dig deeper.
