Paqui Tortilla Chips, the World's Spiciest Chip, Is Sold One to a Customer

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to get pepper-sprayed directly in your mouth, Paqui Chips has something you can’t afford to miss. Following the success of their Carolina Reaper Madness One Chip Challenges in 2016, 2017, and 2019, the company is re-releasing the sadistic snack for 2020. Continuing their part-marketing gimmick, part-public safety effort, the Reaper chip won’t be sold in bags. You just get one chip.

That’s because Paqui dusts its chips with the Carolina Reaper Pepper, which is largely considered the world’s hottest pepper, and this year will also include a bit of Scorpion Pepper and Sichuan Peppercorns, just to give it some extra kick. To drive home the point of how hot this chip is—it’s really, extremely, punishingly hot—the chip is sold in a tiny, coffin-shaped box.

Peppers like the Carolina Reaper are loaded with capsaicin, a compound that triggers messages of heat and pain and fiery consumption; your body can respond by vomiting or having shortness of breath. While eating the chip is not the same as consuming the bare, whole pepper, it’s still going to be a very uncomfortable experience. For a profanity-filled example, you can check out this video from a previous year's #OneChipChallenge:

While the chip, which retails for $6.99, has only been sold on Paqui’s website in past years, this year it will be available at select retail stores across the country, including 7-Eleven and Kroger. The chip will hit shelves on September 22 (just beware that they sell out quickly).

The company also encourages pepper aficionados to upload photos or videos of their attempts to finish the chip using the hashtag #OneChipChallenge. If it becomes too much, try eating yogurt, honey, or milk to dampen the effects.

This story has been updated for 2020.