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Nick: Today I'm cooking "10 Levels of Spicy Food" for the world's most dangerous eater. And by the end, he'll have to survive Pepper X, the spiciest pepper on earth that's 600 times hotter than a jalapeno. But we're starting at Level 1 with a bell pepper, which scores a perfect "0" on the Scoville Scale, the official scale for measuring heat to make an Indian street snack called "Fire Paan". Are you nervous? Chef Rush: Why would I be? I've eaten all the spiciest food all over the world. I am not scared of anything. A leaf?
Nick: This isn't just a leaf. It does start with a leaf, but it's then layered with a variety of sweet fillings.and in this case, some chopped bell pepper, before eventually being topped with shredded coconuts and a few drops of peppermint oil. I'm gonna light this on fire. and then into your mouth it goes. Chef Rush: Oh, my gosh! Oh! The fire should have been a little bit bigger.but it was good. I can taste the bell pepper. Sweet, watery, crunchy. My mouth feels clean and fresh. Nick: That's your palate cleanser. That's my welcome to what this video is gonna be like. Because you still have to eat a 1 million Scoville white ghost pepper,
a 2 million Scoville Carolina Reaper, and of course, our 3 million Scoville Pepper X. Chef Rush: I'm ready for Level 2. Nick: Before moving on, I do have one gift for you. Chef Rush: Milk? Nick: I'm sure we've all played some video game, where there's a health bar that slowly goes down as you play. So I want you to think of this milk as your health bar. If you finish this jug of milk, before you finish Level 10, you lose. Chef Rush: I won't. Nick: For Level 2. We're moving up to the shishito pepper, which scores 100 on the Scoville Scale, to make some spicy sushi. specifically, a "dragon roll", the only sushi named after something that breathes fire.
A fun fact about shishito peppers is: that in Japan, eating them is basically a game, because roughly 1 in every 10 is secretly hot, and not even scientists can tell just by looking at them. So somewhere in this roll, there might be a small surprise waiting for Chef Rush. But really. this level has one job. and that's giving him his very first hint of spice, easing him in nice and slow, before things get serious. I actually hope he enjoys this one, because it only gets worse from here. Chef Rush: I'll tell you this: best dragon roll I've ever seen.
Nick: Well.let's see how it tastes! Nick: Milk? Yeah. Chef Rush: I'm getting a small tingle on the tip of my tongue, but that's about it. I love the texture. Creamy on the outside, crunchy on the inside. It's a beautiful presentation. I gotta try the sauce. Nick: I put a little sriracha, a little spicy mayo in there. Chef Rush: Ooh! Tangy, sweet. Nick: Still not hurting you? Chef Rush: Nope. You're gonna need to try a lot harder than that.
Nick: Health bar is still at 100%. Chef Rush: Bring on the next one! Nick: For Level 3, we're using the jalapeño, which scores 5000 on the Scoville Scale, to make what's called a "danger dog". These come from Tijuana, Mexico. So late at night, outside stadiums and concerts. And normally.the jalapeños only go on top, but mine have also gone inside ground straight into some homemade sausage. Now.I know you're probably wondering how I'm gonna take down Chef Rush with a jalapeno. And that's the thing. I'm not. My only job right now is to wake up his taste buds with something familiar.
A pepper we all know and love. Because pretty soon he'll be eating things 100, 300, even 500 times hotter than this. So the smartest move is letting him get nice and comfortable. Level 3 isn't the takedown. It's the first step. What I love so much about a jalapeño is that everybody here knows what a jalapeño feels and tastes like. So when I say that a jalapeño is 5000 on the heat scale, just think about the fact that later in this video there's gonna be a pepper that's about 3 million. You can't scare this guy.
Chef Rush: It's called a "danger dog"? It doesn't look dangerous. Nick: We're only on Level 3. And don't worry! Remember: your milk's right here. Go ahead! Chef Rush: That's a good dog. First thing I taste is the bacon. Smoky, salty, fatty. And then comes the jalapeño. All that burn is on the front of my tongue, but it goes away, before I take the next bite. Nick: He's just eating the whole raw jalapeño. He's starting to feel it. Chef Rush: I'll take a little.little sip of milk.
Nick: You want milk? It's starting to get hot in here, isn't it? You are now down to 93% of your milk. Is your mouth hot? Chef Rush: Not much. Nick: The jump from Level 3 to Level 4 is steep. Chef Rush: Bring it on! Nick: For Level 4, we're using the purple cayenne, which scores 50,000 on the Scoville Scale, or as hot as 10 jalapeños, to make Italy's famous Devil's pizza. In Italy, it's called "Pizza Diavola", and it's already one of the spiciest things on any menu over there. But mine's getting an upgrade. and this time there's a strategy behind it.
You see.Chef Rush knows the heat is coming. He just doesn't know where. And I'm hiding it in all the places he'd never expect. With red cayennes in the dough, purple cayenne steeping in the tomato sauce, and even a base layer of my Osmo Magic sauce, which gets its heat from Calabrian chilies, making it the perfect match for this Italian classic. Combine that with chili oil and a drizzle of hot honey to finish it off! And this might just be the deadliest pizza ever made. Chef Rush: Mamma mia! It looks amazing. I've never seen a red pizza before. I'm hungry. Nick: Dig in! Chef Rush: Wow! That's crispy. That crust.
Nick: Can you hear that? Chef Rush: This baby hits me fast. It's very sharp and acidic. Now it's not just on the tip of my tongue. The spice is moving to my lips. Nick: That is what the purple cayenne does. And remember: we're only on Level 4. You're eating more. Chef Rush: It's worth it. It's spicy, but the pizza is actually good. That crunch, the char, the crust. Delicious. It tastes better with milk.
Nick: Remember: that's taking away your health. Chef Rush: It's worth it. That's sneaking up on me.just a little. Nick: Every level that we go up, the pepper multiplies by a lot. So it's not just gonna go up slowly. It's gonna go up fast. That doesn't worry you? Chef Rush: No. The next level! Nick: For Level 5, we're using the Thai bird's eye chili, which scores 100,000 on the Scoville Scale, or as hot as 20 jalapeños, to make "crying tiger beef". And that name is no joke. This dish comes from Thailand, where legend says the dipping sauce is so spicy, that one bite would make even a tiger, the top predator of the jungle, break down and cry. Although.knowing Chef Rush,
he'd probably tell you he's the top predator of the jungle. And 4 levels in, I'm honestly starting to believe him. because he's barely even touched his milk. but I'll be shocked if he gets through this round without a sip. Because in addition to the sauce, I'm butter basting the steak itself with even more bird's eye chilies. So I guess Level 5 comes down to one simple question: Who's tougher? A tiger or Chef Rush? Chef Rush: Let's eat! Nick: Chopsticks? Chef Rush: I'mma trying just the beef, no dipping sauce. Fatty, well-marbled.
It's delicious. Now the sauce. Ooh! This one has me a little bit nervous. First off.the sauce is incredible. I taste the lime. With that birdseye chili. It's like a needle. It's like getting electrocuted all in front of my mouth. The only part that will save you is the fattiness from the Wagyu. Whoa! Nick: Yes. Chef Rush, you are falling apart. Chef Rush: Woo! I feel it. Nick: I'm starting to finally kind of get at you, though.
Chef Rush: It's chipping. Nick: You have more than half of that health bar left, so you're doing okay there. But again. Things are gonna get exponentially spicier. Halfway through. How do you feel right now? Chef Rush: I feel great.but I'm also curious. Nick: Is "curious" another word, maybe for "nervous"? Chef Rush: Wait! I just said "curious". I want to see what's left. Nick: Level 6? Chef Rush: Level 6. Nick: For Level 6, we're using the scotch bonnet pepper, which scores 250,000 on the Scoville Scale, or as hot as 50 jalapeños,
to make Korea's spiciest fried chicken. In Korea, this dish is called "Buldak", which translates to "fire chicken". And it's so famously spicy that people film themselves just trying to survive it. But I'm making the most extreme version of that chicken called "nuclear fire chicken". And I'm using scotch bonnets, because their heat is sneaky. You see.after the first bite, you feel almost nothing. But 30 seconds later. it hits you all at once. So my plan is to make the chicken so crispy and delicious, that Chef Rush won't be able to stop eating. And by the time the heat finally catches up with him,
he'll already be 3 bites deep, at which point I'll have one more surprise waiting. From here on out no more rules. It's time to go nuclear. Chef Rush: Whew! That's deadly. Nick: It's worse than deadly. It's nuclear. Chef Rush: I know this one, because it's from Korea. I go to Korea all the time. This one.I'm gonna enjoy. Nick: I'd recommend you wear gloves for this one. When things start to get this spicy, you don't want to touch them with your fingers, or your fingers are gonna hurt for days.
Whenever you're ready. Chef Rush: Whoa! Nick: How are we feeling? Chef Rush: Hot. Nick: I also have a nice cooling dipping sauce here. Chef Rush: Wait! That's not cooling. Nick: It's not cooling. Yeah, I lied. This is also 250,000 Scoville Scale. But you said you can handle anything. You're good. Chef Rush: The first 10 seconds.I don't feel much spice. And when it hits you, it's a very fruity pepper. Whoa! The pepper almost tastes like apricot. It's very weird.but delicious and spicy.
Nick: Yes! This milk is dropping fast. Chef Rush: I'm so confused. My palate is confused, because I can taste the sweetness from it, but also the spicy is attacking every part of my mouth. Nick: And you're down to 61% of your milk. By Level 10, I'm taking him down. Chef Rush: Absolutely not. Nick: For Level 7, we're using the chocolate habanero, which scores 500,000 on the Scoville Scale, or as hot as 100 jalapeños, to make Singapore's most famous dish: chilli crab. I'm making this one with a giant king crab, because the world's toughest eater deserves a worthy opponent. But don't let the crab fool you!
Every Singaporean knows this dish was never really about the crab. In reality, it's all about that sweet and sticky sauce, which makes the chocolate habanero perfect, because it blends right in with its sweet and smoky flavor, but burns with the power of 100 jalapeños. To top it all off.this dish is traditionally served with golden fried buns made for dunking.except this time, when Chef Rush reaches for some bread to save himself, he'll only be making it worse. You made it to Level 7. How do you feel? Chef Rush: I feel good. My whole mouth. My tongue.is all kind of pins and needles right now.
Nick: Looks like you've got just over 50% of your health left. Which means we need to keep stepping it up as we make it towards Level 10. Which.let's be honest! There's no way you're making it through. Chef Rush: I will. Nick: Have you had chili crab? Chef Rush: I have. The dish itself is stunning. It has to be one of the most striking crab presentations I've ever seen. Nick: Before you eat anything.gloves again. He cannot, at this point, touch any of this stuff with his bare hands. Chef Rush: First.I want to start by trying this. I've never seen before.
Chef Rush: This is a. Nick:.chocolate habanero. Chef Rush: Chocolate habanero. Nick: Wow! Chef Rush: Whoa! It has like a.earthy, smoky raisin flavor to it. Ooh! That has me sweating. Nick: You're super warm. Chef Rush: Little lime on here. This one got me a little nervous. Nick: First time I heard that word from him before, by the way. Ever. Chef Rush: Ooh! Whoa! This dish is like a tug of war. You got the sweetness from the king crab, but then that sauce pulls you right back over to super spicy. What's interesting is: the burn is in the back of my mouth now.
Whoa! This one is actually lingering. It's not going away like the other ones. It's like: "I'm here." "Hello! I'm moving in." Chef Rush: Woo! Nick: Yeah! Yes! We're getting there. He's falling apart. You now have half of your milk. You successfully finished Level 7. How are you feeling right now? Chef Rush: That's only "7"? Nick: That was only "7". Yeah. Wait! Why are you scared? Chef Rush: I didn't say that.
Nick: You said it like you were scared. Chef Rush: Did I say that? Nick: For Level 8, we're using the white ghost pepper, the first pepper today to score 1 million on the Scoville Scale, or as hot as 200 jalapeños, to make the United Kingdom's most dangerous curry. Most people don't know that Britain is famous for curry. In fact, their national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala. But as it turns out, they're also famous for outrageously spicy curries, which is where the white ghost pepper comes in.
This pepper is so strong, that the Indian Army has used it to make actual grenades. But I'm using it to make what might just be the spiciest butter chicken of all time. In some restaurants, these curries get so hot, that the chefs have to wear real gas masks in the kitchen to protect themselves from the fumes, which is where it gets the name. "gas mask curry". I'm pairing this dish with something called "bullet naan", which is baked with spicy green chilies. The scariest thing about this level is that I only have to cook it. But Chef Rush actually has to eat it. Can you just talk to us about how you're feeling?
Chef Rush: My mouth is on fire. Nick: I can't believe he's letting me do this. Dig in! And that naan.each little bullet on there, each little piece of chili. It's gonna hit you. This is actually my butter chicken recipe. I made this many times. But I've never made it with white ghost peppers.and I probably never will again. Chef Rush: Oh! It's strong.
Ah! Nick: I'll get you a towel. Chef Rush: Woo! I'm not gonna say this in front of Nick. This is really hard. Do not tell him! Don't say a word! Chef Rush: Oh, geez! Nick: Towel? Your arms are starting to sweat. Chef Rush: It's hot in here. Nick: You look like you are ready to throw in the towel. Chef Rush: You know what's crazy about this is. first flavors I get is the butter chicken. It's buttery, it's creamy, it's a little smoky. About 30 seconds later. the spice hits really hard.
A very floral, fruity flavor. Now it's climbing up the back of my throat. Nick: And remind me: What's that thing you always say to me? Chef Rush: I'm not scared of anything. Nick: You want to just take a big chomp of that white ghost pepper? Chef Rush: What? Nick: You're not scared of it. Chef Rush: I'm not. Nick: Why do you think I garnished it like that? Chef Rush: It's garnish. This is not edible.
Nick: Just a little taste. Yeah. There you go. Chef Rush: That was a little bad. Nick: He's really starting to feel it. It's not a lot left. Chef Rush: It's a lot. Nick: You realize that the last level is the Guinness World Record spiciest pepper in the world. Chef Rush: I got plenty Guinness World Records, too. Who cares? Nick: For Level 9, we're using the Carolina Reaper, which scores 1.6 million on the Scoville Scale, or as hot as 320 jalapeños, to make an Indonesian dish called "sambal stingray". And yes.it all starts with a real stingray.
An animal that carries a venom tipped stinger on its tail. But by the time I'm done with it, that stinger won't even be the most dangerous part of this fish, because the heat in this dish comes from sambal, Indonesia's famous chili paste. But mine might be the first one in history made out of Carolina Reapers. And in case you didn't know: the Reaper held the Guinness World Record as the spiciest pepper on earth for over 10 years. I've cooked a lot of spicy food in my life, but I've never made something I refuse to even taste.until right now. I promised we'd find Chef Rush's limit. And if this stingray doesn't finish the job, what's waiting for him at Level 10, will.
How does that pepper look to you? Chef Rush: It's an intimidating pepper. If you bite into it, something's gonna happen to you. It has a bunch of little thorny bumps all across the skin. It's not smooth. Doesn't look appealing. Nick: It just looks scary. There are countless videos on the internet of people trying to eat these peppers.and normally, it doesn't go so well for them. Chef Rush: Interesting. Nick, this is nice. You don't have to give me a present. Whoa! Look at that! Still super smoky. Nick: It may be pretty.but don't let it fool you, chef! This level here and the one after it
are the only reason I have a medic sitting over there to make sure you're okay. Chef Rush: Hey, sir! You can go. I'm.I'm good. We don't need you here. Nick, you know it's offensive for you to even bring them here. Nick: Off camera.can we talk for a second? Chef Rush: Yeah, of course. Nick: I want to make sure you understand how serious this pepper is. Chef Rush: I understand. You can actually stay. Don't go anywhere! You need to stay for Nick.
Nick: Why is that? Chef Rush: Keep talking! Nick: Now.I'm gonna enjoy seeing you eat this. Chef Rush: Whoa! Ah! Nick: I've never seen you this speechless before. Chef Rush: I'mma try to focus on the fish first. It's buttery, flaky. Chef Rush: It's kind of like a scallop. Nick: Hahaha! Chef Rush: But that heat is crazy. Ah! Whoa! The pepper almost has a little cinnamon flavor to it. Nick: How bad is it, chef? Chef Rush: Probably like a."5". For somebody else.a "10".
Nick: It's only a "5"? Chef Rush: Yeah. Nick: Haha! Chef Rush: Let me get the milk! Nick: Hahahaha! Haha! Be careful, chef! Be careful! Your health. You need to save some for the last pepper. I'm telling you, chef. You are crying now. Chef Rush: So.I think what made this was so extra bad was: the peppers weren't cooked. Nick: When they're raw like that, they're just. Boom! You're shaking. Chef Rush: This is my body responding to the Carolina Reaper.
It hits really hard. Ah! Nick: You are drenched in sweat. Keep on drinking! Let's take a quick look at the health bar! Not much milk left. Chef Rush: Lots of milk. One of the things we do in the military. You know what we always say? Medic! Nick: You're gonna attack me? Chef Rush: I didn't say that. I'm just letting them know. Nick: That seemed like a threat on camera. Will you admit that I've done better than you thought I would?
Chef Rush: Yeah. This is actually harder than I thought it was gonna be. The spice levels. The food was absolutely amazing. Even though everything was extremely spicy. Nick: Was this the worst round yet? Chef Rush: This is the worst one yet. So.I'm actually interested in Level 10. Nick: What do you think I'm gonna make with it? Chef Rush: Knowing you.I don't know. It could be a dessert. Nick: Well.here's a little secret. Level 10 isn't a dish at all.
It's one single pepper. Pepper X.the current Guinness World Record holder for the hottest pepper on the planet, at 2.69 million on the Scoville Scale. The same as eating 538 jalapeños in one bite. They're nearly impossible to get, and so dangerous, that I'm not even the one bringing it in. Pepper X. Does that make you feel any kind of way? Chef Rush: I don't like the "X" on Pepper X. Nick: Doesn't that sound extra menacing? I'm gonna play a few clips here of people having this pepper in the past.
Host: What Joe is feeling right now is utter pain. Joe: Ah! It's hurting. Greg: Oh! Sean: The skin on my face feels tighter. Nick: It's dangerous. So dangerous that the medic might be your only hope. You ready for Level 10? Chef Rush: I'm ready. Nick: Bring it on in! Thank you! Chef Rush: Now I'm getting a little nervous. Nick: Hahaha! Chef Rush: Wait a second! There's no dish?
Nick: I can make it into a dish if you want. Now it's a dish. Chef Rush: It doesn't look so intimidating by itself. Nick: Smell it back! Chef Rush: Oh-ho! What was that? Nick: Ooh! It hurts your brain. There's only one place in the world you can get these. It's from this one guy who grows them. Who holds the Guinness World Record for this pepper. They look different every year. So if you're looking this up right now and saying: "That's not a Pepper X". These are Pepper X's. We got them directly from Smokin' Ed himself.
He's the one that grows them. This is this year's crop of Pepper X. This is a serious, serious pepper. I held one of these between this thumb and this pointer finger. Both tips of my fingers went completely numb. You could eat 538 jalapeños, and those all together would be the spice of one of these. Chef Rush: And you want me to eat it? Nick: What did he say at the start of the video, again? Chef Rush: I am not scared of anything.
Nick: Yeah, that's right. That was it. Chef Rush: I didn't say that. It wasn't me. Nick: I need you to sign this waiver. Chef Rush: A waiver for.? Nick: Just in case anything happens to you, you or your loved ones can't come after me. Chef Rush: You gave me hot dogs, you gave me pizza, butter chicken. And now you give me just a Pepper X. Done. Nick: I wish I had a heart rate monitor on you right now. I.I feel like it's probably beating off the charts. Chef Rush: No.
Nick: Just moments ago, you were crying. Chef Rush: It was this heat in this place. Nick: You don't have much left. Chef Rush: Enough. Nick: Any last words? Chef Rush: What? Nick: Go ahead! In 3, 2, 1. Enjoy! Oh, gosh! My.my heart is beating out of my chest right now.
You need the fire extinguisher or something? Oh, no! You good? I gotta see you finish it. Finish the milk! Chef Rush: Oh! Ah! I'm done! Nick: I'm not really sure who.who won here. Chef Rush: I need something else. Nick: What's that? Chef Rush: Ice cream. What? Give me something! Nick: What Chef Rush doesn't know is. that I was waiting for this moment. Earlier today, I made homemade ice cream, and snuck in a few drops of Mad Dog Plutonium, a 9 million Scoville extract hot sauce, as well as hot fudge infused with a mix of
all the spiciest peppers on the planet to make an ice cream sundae with a combined Scoville level of over 20 million, making this innocent little sundae the spiciest thing in the entire video. This is the real Level 10. Chef Rush: Ooh! Wow! Nick: Take this! Chef Rush: Oh! Did you put spice in the ice cream? Nick: I may have put spice. Chef Rush: It's bad. Nick: Are you good? Chef Rush: It's bad. No. Do I look good? Give me some milk! Nick: All milk? Chef Rush: All the milk.
Nick: Okay. Better? Chef Rush: Medic! Medic: Uh.can I get extra units? Maybe a helicopter. Chef Rush: Ah!
