Burger King put out the spicy ghost pepper whopper last year and it gains much popularity.
If you are terrified about eating something spicy, then Burger King’s spicy ghost pepper whopper may be your nightmare. The ghost pepper, also known as bhut jolokia in its native India, is one of the world’s hottest peppers.
So how spicy the ghost pepper whopper is? To find out the answer, I’ve gone to the nearest Burger King to get one for a taste, here’s the review.
How Spicy is Burger King’s Ghost Pepper Whopper?
Let’s start with the fundamentals: Exactly what is on this, and which ingredients are the spiciest? Beginning with a single standard flame-grilled Whopper patty, the Ghost Pepper Whopper is then topped with bacon, crispy jalapeos, hot queso sauce, and Ghost Pepper cheese. A vibrant orange Whopper bun covered in black sesame seeds serves as the unifying element.
Even though there are many ingredients in there, only three work together to deliver Scovilles: jalapeos, queso, and Ghost Pepper cheese. Together, they bring a slow-burning heat that you don’t notice right away after taking a bite but that lingers on your palate and gets hotter as you eat more.
The amount of queso that each bite contains also affects the heat level. My second bite brought more heat as I encountered the queso, which seemed to be responsible for the majority of the sandwich’s heat. My first bite was dominated by the smokiness of BK’s trademark flame-broiled patty, with a background of the bacon. To be honest, the queso overpowered the Ghost Pepper cheese’s heat, and the jalapeos mostly distinguished themselves with their crunchy texture rather than their flavor.
All of this is to say that even though I love spicy food, I still needed to take a few breaks to clear my palate and tame the heat with a Sprite or a plate of fries. Although it was still a manageable amount of heat overall, by the time I was finished, I could definitely feel the burn. You won’t be going to the ER, but you also won’t be bored, because this sandwich has a real punch without going overboard. It strikes an excellent middle ground that might serve as a bit of a letdown for Hot Ones wannabes but remains appealing to a relatively wide range of heat tolerances.
The Bun
Let’s discuss the other ingredients now that we’ve discussed the spice. The Ghost Pepper Whopper is served on a dense orange bun that is heavily garnished with black sesame seeds. As long as you don’t give the food dyes that were used to make the bun so colorful too much thought, the visual effect gives you all the Halloween feels. The flavor of the bun was rather unremarkable, if a little artificial-tasting (likely from the dyes), and the texture was a little bit dryer than your typical burger bun. However, despite being covered in queso, the burger was much less messy due to the dryness of the bun, which helped make it a sturdy base for the variety of toppings.
The Patty
The meat in my burger wasn’t particularly noteworthy; it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either, and it might have been a little underseasoned. However, when combined with the bacon, the flame-broiled patty’s inherent smokiness pairs perfectly with the cheese’s and queso’s heat, completing an overall very satisfying flavor profile. As a former vegetarian who typically prefers the Impossible Whopper to the original, I can’t say I feel like I’m missing much by primarily sticking to the plant-based alternative.
Should You Have It?
That was a lot of words, I admit. Does the Ghost Pepper Whopper from Burger King taste good? Yes, I can say that for sure. Try to find a fast food burger that has a comparable overall impact right now; the heat was there, the flavor was satisfying, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one. I did discover that I missed the acidity of pickle slices and the freshness of tomatoes and lettuce when compared to an original Whopper. The creamy component of a burger that I still prefer to this one’s queso is mayo. However, contrary to what I had anticipated, the Ghost Pepper Whopper wasn’t especially heavy or greasy. Overall, if you can take the heat, I’d say it mostly lives up to the hype.
Conclusion
In short, Burger King’s spicy ghost pepper whopper is not as spicy as I’ve imagined, it is suitable for those who want to have a try on spicy food, but do remember to take some beverage for you.
