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Mike Jack, a talented chilli eater and multiple world record holder, has set an extremely spicy record that hasn’t been broken for six years.
The Canadian broke the record for the fastest time to eat three Carolina Reaper chillies, with a time of 9.72 seconds, bringing the record under 10 seconds for the first time ever.
Mike attempted this record in London, Ontario, Canada, on 21 November 2020.
The attempt was done at his home in line with COVID-19 social distancing measures. His wife, Jamie Jack, acted as his witness, timekeeper, and coach.
For the purposes of this record, each chilli had to weigh at least 5 grams (0.18 oz), and a certificate proving they were in fact Carolina Reaper chillies had to be provided.
The Carolina Reaper is officially the hottest chilli pepper in the world, grown by Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company (USA).
The pepper rates at an average of 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), according to tests conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina, USA.
This means Mike consumed an approximate total of 4.9 million SHU in mere seconds - a feat that left his taste buds more than tingling!
To put that into perspective, the Jalapeño pepper ranges from 2,000 to around 10,000 SHU.
Although this extreme spiciness would surely melt a less seasoned chilli eater, Mike has had plenty of practise over the years.
He’s entered into many chilli eating competitions, has a YouTube channel dedicated to the pursuit and holds multiple records.
“I've made it my goal to hold as many Guinness World Records in chilli eating as possible.” – Mike Jack
Mike already held three records before his latest achievement:
The Bhut Jolokia chilli pepper, commonly known as the Ghost pepper, is one of the hottest peppers in the world.
Though not quite as hot as the Carolina Reaper, it still tops over 1 million SHU.
You’d think Mike would want a break after all this chilli chomping, perhaps with a glass or two of milk, but he has his sights set on more records.
Mike is currently aiming for eight chilli eating records, and with this latest achievement under his belt, he is halfway to reaching his goal. Well done Mike!
This record was attempted by an experienced chilli eater who is accustomed to the extreme heat. Please be aware that consuming such hot chilli peppers without any training could result in serious side effects.