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Capsicum chinense

Trinidad Scorpion - Scoville, Taste & Uses

Trinidad Scorpion peppers look fierce, with wrinkled skin and stinger tails. The flavor teases with tropical fruit before unleashing a crushing burn. Within seconds, the heat spikes past 1,200,000 SHU and keeps climbing. Trinidadian citizens use tiny amounts in pepper sauces, soups, and meat marinades. Makers ferment the pods into mash for extreme condiments and powder them for spice blends. The pepper's floral aroma holds even after long cooking. Handle with caution, taste with respect - certified by the Ministry of Scorpion Heat. Trinidad Scorpion typically measures 1,200,000-2,000,000 SHU (Extreme). Shows up across Trinidad and Tobago in condiments, pickles, and marinades. Use minuscule amounts in Caribbean pepper sauce, curry, or stews. Blend with mango, papaya, or pineapple for sweet-heat glazes. Smoke and dry the pods to make incendiary powders for chili or barbecue rubs. Ferment chopped Scorpion with salt to create mash, then mix with vinegar for dropper sauces. Always dilute thoroughly and label clearly to warn eaters. See sauces using Trinidad Scorpion

Also known as: Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, Scorpion Pepper

Capsicum chinenseSauce Index | 3
Trinidad Scorpion hero image

Species

Capsicum chinense

Heat

1,200,000-2,000,000 SHUExtreme

Flavour

instant-heat, Fruity, floral, Bold, lingering

Origin / Regions

Trinidad and Tobago

Colour / Shape

Red or yellow when ripe, with pointed tail

Pod size

4-5 cm long, 3-4 cm wide

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Sauces Using Trinidad Scorpion

Explore how makers use Trinidad Scorpion across styles and regions.

Not Your Abuela's Sauce hot sauce bottle

Not Your Abuela's Sauce

mediumBBQ Chili Sauce

by Chicos Farm

Suave, zesty, smoky hot sauce with just the right amount of fuego. Cue up the music, because your mouth is about to sing. Inspired by a recipe from a real Mexican abuela, this is our signature Mexican-based sauce. Fermented con mucho amor, sweet peppers, tomatoes, smoked dried chillies, orange, dried cumin and coriander seeds, cinnamon, and our very own homegrown Red Big Mama, Yellow Scorpion Butch-T, and just a touch of Red Carolina Reaper, just enough to keep things interesting without overwhelming. Not Your Abuela’s brings your food to life with a deep citrusy-smoky flavour and a crisp, slightly sweet edge. Please try not to use it all on your tacos or chilli. Save some to liven up your grilled meat, roasted veggies, potatoes, or even just a piece of bread (no judgment).

Carolina ReaperGhost Pepper
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TriniTang hot sauce bottle

TriniTang

mediumFreestyle

by Chicos Farm

Freshly citric! Lime meets fresh mint and parsley, in a tangy hot mess. Get ready for some sunshine in a bottle. TriniTang is our bright, summer-feel sauce that warms you up in the winter. Fermented with fruity sweet peppers, fresh lime, parsley and mint, and blessed with Yellow Scorpion Butch-T, White Jolokia, and just a dash of Red Carolina Reaper to get things going. It brings a zesty warmth and a fresh herbal breeze to your table, with just the right amount of tang to liven up anything you're cooking. We love it as a salad dressing, drizzled over grilled fish, seafood, oven-baked vegetables, or any lean meat like chicken or turkey.

Carolina ReaperTrinidad Scorpion
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TriniTang hot sauce bottle

TriniTang

hotFreestyle

by Chicos Farm

Fresh lime, mint and parsley on a sunny beach inside a bottle, minus the sand. Summertime all year round, packed into a bottle. With a hot summer breeze in every drop, this sauce brings sunshine straight to your winter. Fermented with fruity sweet peppers, fresh lime, parsley and mint, and blessed with Yellow Habanero Big Sun, our signature Yellow Moruga Scorpion, and just a touch of Red Carolina Reaper, it’s pure summer on your plate. With a heat that makes you want to dance, it delivers a smooth, tangy citrus flavour followed by fresh herbal undertones. Perfect for baked chicken or turkey sandwiches, roasted vegetables, lean meats, or anything from the sea.

Carolina ReaperHabanero
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Flavour & Aroma

Trinidad Scorpion peppers look fierce, with wrinkled skin and stinger tails. The flavor teases with tropical fruit before unleashing a crushing burn. Within seconds, the heat spikes past 1,200,000 SHU and keeps climbing. Trinidadian citizens use tiny amounts in pepper sauces, soups, and meat marinades. Makers ferment the pods into mash for extreme condiments and powder them for spice blends. The pepper's floral aroma holds even after long cooking. Handle with caution, taste with respect - certified by the Ministry of Scorpion Heat.
Use minuscule amounts in Caribbean pepper sauce, curry, or stews. Blend with mango, papaya, or pineapple for sweet-heat glazes. Smoke and dry the pods to make incendiary powders for chili or barbecue rubs. Ferment chopped Scorpion with salt to create mash, then mix with vinegar for dropper sauces. Always dilute thoroughly and label clearly to warn eaters.

Heat Profile

Scoville range

1,200,000-2,000,000 SHU

Heat label

Extreme

Harvest window

Late summer to autumn

Sauce Index count

3

History & Culture

Scorpion peppers hail from Trinidad and Tobago, where Capsicum chinense varieties have grown for generations. The "Butch T" strain gained fame when it briefly held the Guinness World Record for hottest pepper in 2011, testing at 1,463,700 SHU. Local farmers shared seeds with Australian grower Butch Taylor and later with hobbyists worldwide. Today, several Scorpion strains exist, but all trace back to Trinidadian landraces. The pepper remains a key ingredient in Trini-style pepper sauce and doubles as a symbol of island heat culture.

Botany & Growing Notes

▼
Trinidad Scorpions require long, hot seasons and skilled care. Start seeds indoors 12 weeks before the last frost, using heat mats near 30°C for germination. Transplant when soil stays above 18°C, and give plants full sun plus wind protection. They reach up to 1.2 meters tall, needing stakes or cages. Provide rich soil, consistent moisture, and calcium to prevent blossom end rot. Expect 120 to 150 days from transplant to ripe pods. In cooler regions, greenhouses or indoor grow tents are essential.

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One-off box to explore heat and flavour across different sauce styles. No commitment; just taste and take notes.

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FAQ

Trinidad Scorpion typically measures 1,200,000-2,000,000 SHU (Extreme). Ranges shift with cultivar and growing conditions.

Sources

  • Republic of Heat tasting lab field notes
  • Producer dossiers submitted through Directus
  • Open cultivar registries & academic pepper research

We cross-reference seed banks, peer-reviewed literature, and reputable producer data for SHU and origin claims.

Reviewed by Republic of Heat - last updated 2025-11-08