Charleston Hot Pepper

Similar to the Carolina Cayenne, the Charleston Hot is a variety of Cayenne created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in South Carolina.

Although it was not bred for its heat, it is much hotter than a regular cayenne, which averages about 30,000 Scovilles, with a great cayenne flavor. Charleston Hot was named for the hot summers in Charleston. The Charleston Hot often has the “NR” (nematode resistant) moniker attached because it was bred to resist the parasitic worm, root-knot nematode.