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The Scoville Scale
 
The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness of a chile pepper (hot pepper). These fruits of the Capsicum genus contain capsaicin, a chemical compound which stimulates heat-receptor nerve endings in the tongue, and the number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Many hot sauces use their Scoville rating in advertising as a selling point.
 

The Scoville Scale is named after Wilbur Scoville, who developed the Scoville Organoleptic Test in 1912. As originally devised, a solution of the pepper extract is diluted in sugar water until the 'heat' is no longer detectable to a panel of (usually five) tasters; the degree of dilution gives its measure on the Scoville scale. Thus a sweet pepper, containing no capsaicin at all, has a Scoville rating of zero, meaning no heat detectable even undiluted. Conversely, the hottest chiles, such as habaneros, have a rating of 300,000 or more, indicating that their extract has to be diluted 300,000-fold before the capsaicin present is undetectable. 15 Scoville units is equivalent to one part capsaicin per million. The greatest weakness of the Scoville Organoleptic Test is its imprecision, because it relies on human subjectivity.

 
The Scoville Scale
 
Name Scoville Rating
Pure capsaicin 16,000,000
Nordihydrocapsaicin 9,100,000
Homodihydrocapsaicin 8,600,000
Police grade pepper spray 5,300,000
Common pepper spray 2,000,000
Red Savina habanero 350,000 - 580,000
Habanero chile 100,000 - 350,000
Scotch bonnet 100,000 - 325,000
Birds eye pepper 100,000 - 225,000
Jamaican hot pepper 100,000 - 200,000
Carolina cayenne pepper 100,000 - 125,000
Bahamian pepper 95,000 - 110,000
Tabiche pepper 85,000 - 115,000
Thai pepper 50,000 - 100,000
Chiltepin pepper 50,000 - 100,000
Piquin pepper 40,000 - 58,000
Super chile pepper 40,000 - 50,000
Santaka pepper 40,000 - 50,000
Cayenne pepper 30,000 - 50,000
Tabasco pepper 30,000 - 50,000
de Arbol pepper 15,000 - 30,000
Manzano pepper 12,000 - 30,000
Serrano pepper 5,000 - 23,000
Hot wax pepper 5,000 - 10,000
Chipotle 5,000 - 10,000
Jalapeņo 2,500 - 8,000
Santaka pepper 2,500 - 8,000
Guajilla pepper 2,500 - 5,000
Rocotilla pepper 1,500 - 2,500
Pasilla pepper 1,000 - 2,000
Ancho pepper 1,000 - 2,000
Poblano pepper 1,000 - 2,000
Coronado pepper 700 - 1,000
Anaheim pepper 500 - 2,500
New Mexico pepper 500 - 1,000
Santa Fe Grande pepper 500 - 700
Pepperoncini pepper 100 - 500
Pimento 100 - 500
Sweet bell pepper 0