About this episode
The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn. SOURCES: Ed Currie , founder and president of the PuckerButt Pepper Company. Stephanie Walker , associate professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist at New Mexico State University RESOURCES: " Pepper X Dethrones Carolina Reaper as World’s Hottest Chili Pepper ," by Sanj Atwal ( Guinness World Records, 2023). " The Shocking, Stupendous Rise of Superhot Chillies: ‘The Stomach Cramps Can Last for 14 Hours ,’" by Tim Dowling ( The Guardian, 2023). " 14-Year-Old Dies After Trying The Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge ,’" by Bruce Y. Lee ( Forbes, 2023). " Beyond Neuronal Heat Sensing: Diversity of TRPV1 Heat-Capsaicin Receptor-Channel Functions ," by Yaroslav M. Shuba ( Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2021). " Training Your Tongue to Love Spicy Food Benefits More Than Your Taste Buds ," by Maddie Oatman ( Mother Jones, 2019). " Fire-Eaters ," by Lauren Collins ( The New Yorker, 2013). " The Arms Race to Grow World's Hottest Pepper Goes Nuclear ," by Spencer Jakab ( The Wall Street Journal, 2013). EXTRAS: " Why Do People Love Horror Movies? " by No Stupid Questions (2022). Hot Ones , YouTube talk show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.