Pepper hotness magnitudes are interesting to those who like their food a little bit spicy. From mild peppers to scorching Carolina Reapers, the pepper world is vast and holds many fiery surprises. In this writing piece we’ll go in depth about what spiciness scale is all about, how it works, what it measures and why one variety of peppers can be hotter than another sort of pepper. So get ready for an exciting journey through the different types of peppers with a touch of humor!
What is the Peppers Heat Scale?
The heat scale for peppers also referred to as Scoville Heat Scale measures chili pepper’s heat or any other hot foods too. The inventor Wilbur Scoville was an American pharmacist who came up with this test in 1912 hence its name. Also known as just Scoville scale, it measures capsaicinoids concentration which have a spicy feel to them.
How does the Scoville heat scale work?
Initially, the Scoville Organoleptic Test was employed to measure the Scoville heat scale where sugar water was used to dilute pepper extract until a group of individuals could no longer detect any sign of burning sensation that resulted from consumption thereof. By measuring how much dilution had taken place, one could assign value to his or her favorite kind of chili prompted by desired level of sharpness in taste buds while eating it. However, nowadays more accurate techniques have developed such as HPLC (HPLC) that uses high performance liquid chromatography test but still people use SHU or scoville units when talking about how hot particular peppeer can be.
The Peppers Heat Scale: from mild to wild
Following is how some common peppers rank on the peppers heat scale:
1. Bell bell pepper (0 SHU)
Bell bell pepper has been awarded zero on the Scoville scale. They are sweet and crunchy, perfect for adding color to salads and stir-fries without being spicy.
2. Banana peppers (100-1,000 SHU)
Banana peppers add a mild heat to food that makes your taste buds dance. They are often used in sandwiches and salads.
3. Jalapeño peppers (2,500-8,000 SHU)
Jalapenos are often the best choice when you want to add some moderate heat into salsa, nachos or stuff bell pepper dishes. They give a nice kick without setting your mouth on fire.
4. Serrano peppers (10,000-23,000 SHU)
Serrano is hotter than jalapeno but milder than habanero jalapeno pepper with an intense heat level . They can be used in Mexican cooking as well as seasoning salsas and sauces.
5. Cayenne bell pepper (30,000-50,000 SHU)
Cayenne’s hottest form is drying it then grinding it into powder where it is known as cayenne pepper powder. In many spice blends and hot sauces this powder finds its place.
6. Habanero peppers (100,000-350,000 SHU)
Habaneros have the right amount of spiciness with their fruity fiery flavor which comes from them naturally and could not be said otherwise due to the fact that they are too hot so they should always be used sparingly in hot sauces and salsas.
7. Ghost peppers (Bhut Jolokia) (800,000-1,001,304 SHU)
Ghost Peppers were once regarded as the hottest peppers on earth ever known by man till recent past times thus only a small amount of ghost pepper is added into extremely spicy dishes or even sauces made from them because of their extreme hotness level.
8. Carolina Reaper (1,400,000-2,200,000 SHU)
The world’s hottest pepper currently is the one known as Carolina Reaper. Its heat intensity is so high that it finds its use in very spicy hot sauces or for spicy challenges. But be careful and maybe take a glass of milk with you!
Why does the pungency of peppers vary?
The level of capsaicin found in bell peppers determines their hotness which depends on a multitude of things like the type of pepper, growing conditions and how ripe they are. Once it binds to receptors in our mouth, capsaicin causes a burning sensation and pain. As irony would have it though, capsaicin doesn’t physically harm—it only tricks the brain into interpreting a feeling that comes from heat.
Fun facts
We spice up things by serving some fun facts on the pepper heat scale:
The pepper's protection
Capsaicin has evolved as a defense mechanism to keep mammals from eating the bell pepper but birds who aid seed dispersal do not seem to be affected by it. In this sense birds can eat any kind of pepper without having any issues!
Heat seekers
Some individuals naturally like their food spicy than others. If you can chew down ghost chili without flinching then you belong to this group called Heat Seekers which enjoy being overwhelmed by extremely high temperatures.
Milk magic
When you want to cool your mouth after biting into such a hot vegetable avoid water? Use milk instead because casein protein helps neutralize capsaicin.
Embrace the spice
It’s interesting how each different variety has different peppers heat scale ratings; whether it is someone’s favorite mild peppers or everyone else’s favorite hot ones called Carolina Reapers. Knowing where each pepper falls on this scale will help determine its flavor profile and what dishes are best suited for using them in your kitchen creativity
So, don’t be afraid to try out different peppers the next time you are in the kitchen. Get involved with pungency and enjoy peppers’ exciting flavors!