The One Chip Challenge Scoville: Unveiling the World's Spiciest Tortilla Chip

Introduction

In 2016 and 2017, the #OneChipChallenge brought tears to many, but now there’s an even hotter chip that’s ready to take the crown.

The Launch of the Spiciest Tortilla Chip

Texas-based company Paqui Tortilla Chips recently announced the special launch of their new chip. The decision came after receiving numerous “love letters, polite requests, and desperate pleas” from fans, as stated by Caitlin Moralic, the Brand Manager of Paqui.

The Fan Excitement

One curious fan was eager to test their heat tolerance, while another expressed a desire to try the chip with their jalapeño-loving father, reminiscing about their spicy adventures together.

The Journey to Develop the Ultimate Chip

After a brief hiatus in 2018, Paqui focused on revamping their packaging and developing new flavors. However, they were aware that loyal fans eagerly awaited the next challenge. To meet their expectations, the team spent three months crafting a new seasoning, experimenting with different pepper ratios, and conducting taste tests, which involved copious amounts of milk and ice cream.

Introducing the 2019 OneChipChallenge

More Spice

Compared to its 2017 predecessor, this year’s chip is significantly spicier. It contains over 50% more Carolina Reaper peppers, known for their record-breaking heat of 1.641 million Scoville Heat Units. Additionally, some Ghost Peppers have been replaced with Scorpion Peppers, which are about 1.5 times hotter.

A New Look

To pay tribute to Paqui’s fresh packaging and brand design, the chip is jet black. The intense black seasoning, enriched with activated charcoal, coats each blue corn chip, creating a distinctive appearance.

Higher Price

Priced at $6.99, this year’s chip is $2 more expensive than the 2016 edition. This increase covers the costs of the multi-phase launch, including a pre-sale and a sweepstakes with a one-in-ten chance of winning. Paqui aims to ensure the financial viability of the challenge in 2019 and the years to come. As a bonus, each purchase comes with a coupon for a free bag of Paqui chips.

A Notable Absence

For serious spice enthusiasts, it’s important to note that the chip no longer includes peppers from the PuckerButt Pepper Company. This change means that there’s no Smokin Ed’s Carolina Reaper or the ultra-hot Pepper X, which registers a mind-boggling 3.18 million Scoville units.

The Overwhelming Response

Despite the absence of the aforementioned peppers, the new chip has been met with incredible reception. Only 135,000 chips were available, with 125,000 in the U.S. and 10,000 in Canada. During the pre-sale, they sold out in just 20 minutes, and in the U.S., they were gone within a week. Paqui has announced that more chips will be available through the World’s Hottest Sweeps, starting in early October.

Join the Challenge and Win!

For a chance to win one of three grand prizes, including a one-year supply of Paqui chips, branded beer glasses, and a Yeti cooler, participants can enter the lottery in February 2020. To enter, post a video of your OneChipChallenge experience on a public Instagram or Twitter profile, tagging @PaquiChips with #OneChipChallenge and #sweepstakes. For further details, please refer to the official rules. As of now, there are already over 4,805 related social media posts.

A Personal Account

As someone who attempted the challenge and failed, I must confess that I found the chip to be relatively flavorless before it unleashed its fiery assault. Considering my average spice tolerance, my failure was no surprise. To add some company to my misery, I invited my brother, who liberally sprinkles Carolina Reaper powder on his food. Initially, he thought the warning messages and coffin-shaped packaging were excessive. However, after shedding tears and scrambling around my kitchen in search of relief, even he had to reassess his perception of spiciness. Although he didn’t curse at me, I could certainly see the rage in his eyes.