Ed Currie
Ed ('Smokin' Ed) Currie is an American chili pepper grower, founder and president of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company and the creator of the world's hottest pepper according to Guinness World Records, Smokin’ Ed's Carolina Reaper.[1][2]
Background
Currie was born in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. He graduated from Central Michigan University and fought addiction for many years. In 2001, Currie moved to South Carolina where he began growing his own peppers in the yard and experimenting with crossbreeds.[3]
Puckerbutt Pepper Company
Currie started The Puckerbutt Pepper Company in Fort Mill, South Carolina in 2003.[4] They have over 500,000 pepper plants and sell the hottest peppers on the planet. He sells seeds, pepper mash and hot sauce to more than 95 countries.[3] PuckerButt has annual revenues close to $1 million and it is the largest organic pepper farm in the United States.[3][4] Currie's hot sauce "The Last Dab" became well known when it was featured on the YouTube show Hot Ones.[4][5]
Currie crossbreeds his pepper plants by taking the pollen of one plant with a paintbrush and then delivering that pollen to a different plant. To create the Carolina Reaper, he took a pepper from Pakistan and combined it with one from St. Vincent.[6] In 2013, Guinness World Records gave the title of World's Hottest Chili to the Carolina Reaper.[7][8]
References
- News and Info | (2015-04-29). "Ed Currie, creator of the Carolina Reaper, is working on an even hotter variety". Cayenne Diane. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- "Don't Fear the Reaper: Smokin' Ed Currie on the Link Between Peppers and Addiction". Honeysuckle Magazine. 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- Gabriele, Amanda. "How One Man Overcame Addiction by Growing the Hottest Peppers in the World". Thrillist. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- Wells, Jane (2018-06-20). "How this ex-addict turned self-made millionaire created the world's most hellish peppers". CNBC. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- 07 - Ed Currie - PuckerButt Pepper Company - The Hottest Farmer in the World *AG ODDITIES EDITION* - United We Ag, retrieved 2020-12-17
- "Ed Currie is the Mad Genius Behind the Carolina Reaper". Man of Many. 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- "Smokin Ed Currie". Charleston Wine + Food. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- "Of Note: Ed Currie, The Inventor of the Hottest Pepper in the World". scribble. Retrieved 2020-12-17.