Description
Chilli Name: YELLOW CAROLINA REAPER
Chilli Species: Chinense
Chilli Origin: USA
Chilli Heat: Superhot
Yellow Carolina Reaper — A Citrusy Twist on the World’s Hottest Chilli Lineage
The Yellow Carolina Reaper is a colour variant of the infamous Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest chillies in the world. Like the original red Reaper, this variety belongs to the Capsicum chinense species and was bred for extreme heat — but with a distinctive citrus-forward flavour and brilliant yellow colour that sets it apart.
This chilli was likely developed through selective isolation of a natural mutation or cross involving the original Carolina Reaper, which itself was created by Ed Currie (USA) by crossing a Pakistani Naga with a Red Habanero-type. The yellow strain is not officially recognised as part of the Guinness World Record line, but it retains much of the Reaper’s searing heat and signature scythe-shaped tail.
The pods are bright yellow, often lumpy or blistered in texture, and ripen from green to gold. While individual heat levels can vary, Yellow Reapers regularly test above 800,000–1,200,000 SHU, and sometimes even higher depending on growing conditions. The flavour is what makes it special — sharp, sweet, and intensely citrusy, with less bitterness than the red variety. It’s ideal for making bright hot sauces, powders, or extreme salsas.
The plant is vigorous, requiring a long growing season, warmth, and plenty of sun. Like other C. chinense types, it performs best in greenhouse or sheltered conditions in temperate regions.
In short, the Yellow Carolina Reaper brings together extreme heat and zesty fruit flavour, offering growers and hot sauce makers a high-performance chilli with a golden twist on legendary fire.
