All About the Scoville Scale

The Scoville scale is a measurement system used to evaluate the heat level of peppers and hot sauces. It was created by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912 and is still used today to classify peppers based on the concentration of capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for the sensation of heat. In this article, discover everything you need to know about the Scoville scale, including how it works, the hottest peppers, and its use in various fields.

What Is the Scoville Scale?

The Scoville scale, also known as the "Scoville Heat Scale", measures the intensity of chili peppers' heat in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The measurement method is based on the progressive dilution of a chili extract in sugar water until the heat is no longer perceptible. The greater the dilution required, the hotter the pepper is considered.

How the Scoville Scale Works

Wilbur Scoville's original method of measuring peppers was subjective and relied on sensory tests, where a panel of tasters evaluated the intensity of the heat. Today, although more precise techniques such as chromatography are used to measure capsaicin, the Scoville scale remains a popular standard.

Examples of Peppers on the Scoville Scale

Here are some examples of peppers and their values on the Scoville scale:

Sweet Bell Pepper (0 SHU): No heat.
Cayenne Pepper (30,000 - 50,000 SHU): Hot but manageable for thrill seekers.
Habanero (100,000 - 350,000 SHU): Very hot.
Carolina Reaper (1,400,000 - 2,200,000 SHU): One of the hottest peppers in the world, we urgently invite you to try the carolina reaper if you've never tasted it.

The Hottest Peppers According to the Scoville Scale

The Scoville scale reveals peppers with extreme heat levels, such as the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, which are among the most powerful in the world:

Carolina Reaper: This pepper currently holds the world record for the hottest pepper with values ranging from 1.4 to 2.2 million SHU.
Pepper X: More powerful than the Carolina Reaper, this pepper reaches values up to 3.18 million SHU.
Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: With a heat level of 1.4 million SHU, it is one of the hottest peppers and even held the world record before the emergence of the Carolina Reaper.

How Is the Scoville Scale Used?

The Scoville scale is used in various contexts, including:

1. Cuisine

Chefs use the scale to determine how much heat to incorporate into hot sauces, spicy dishes, and other food products. Peppers like the Jalapeño (3,000 - 8,000 SHU) are common in recipes, while hotter peppers like the Habanero or Ghost Pepper are used in ultra-hot sauces.

2. Food Industry

Hot sauce, condiment, and spicy snack manufacturers use the scale to evaluate and communicate the heat of their products. There are sauces ranging from a few hundred SHU to several million SHU.

3. Health and Safety

Some people may be sensitive to the effects of chili pepper heat, causing heartburn, digestive irritation, or even more serious reactions. The scale helps understand the level of danger associated with consuming certain peppers.

The Advantages and Limitations of the Scoville Scale

Advantages:

Standardization: The scale allows for objective classification of peppers based on their heat.
Ease of use: SHU values are easily understood by consumers.
Accessibility: It remains a commonly used reference in the food industry.

Limitations:

Subjective method: The original evaluation method is based on sensory tests, which can make results variable.
Lack of precision: Modern liquid chromatography techniques offer more precision for measuring capsaicin concentration, but they are not always used.

FAQ about the Scoville Scale

What is the hottest pepper in the world?

Pepper X currently holds the record for the hottest pepper, reaching up to 3.18 million SHU. However, the Carolina Reaper remains one of the most famous with peaks of 2.2 million SHU.

How to measure the heat of a pepper?

The heat of a pepper is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which indicate the amount of capsaicin present in the pepper. The higher the SHU value, the hotter the pepper.

Conclusion

The Scoville scale is an essential tool for understanding the intensity of peppers and hot sauces. Whether choosing a pepper for a spicy dish or measuring the heat of a sauce, the Scoville scale remains a reliable reference in the culinary world and beyond. Knowing the SHU values of different peppers helps you better appreciate the diversity of flavors and sensations offered by these fascinating fruits.

The Pepper Scale

The principle of the Scoville scale is to prepare a solution of fresh peppers reduced to a puree and mix it with sugar water. The solutions are tasted by 5 people and as long as the burning sensation persists, dilution continues. For example, cayenne pepper must be diluted between 30,000 and 50,000 times to no longer feel the burning sensation according to the Scoville scale.

Level	Rating	Scoville Unit	Example
0	Neutral	0 - 100	Bell Pepper
1	Mild	100 - 500	Sweet paprika
2	Warm	500 - 1,000	Anaheim Pepper
3	Medium	1,000 - 1,500	Ancho Pepper
4	Hot	1,500 - 2,500	Espelette Pepper
5	Hot	2,500 - 5,000	Chimayo Pepper
6	Fiery	5,000 - 15,000	Cayenne Pepper
7	Burning	15,000 - 30,000	Cascabel Pepper
8	Scorching	30,000 - 50,000	Chile de Arbol
9	Volcanic	50,000 - 100,000	Tabasco Pepper
10	Explosive	+ 100,000	Habanero Pepper (Caribbean)

The Scoville Scale

The table below is the expanded version of the Scoville scale, which ranks the strength of peppers.
(last updated: November 2015)

Scoville Units	Products or Peppers
15,000,000 - 16,000,000	Pure Capsaicin
9,100,000	Nordihydrocapsaicin
8,600,000	Homodihydrocapsaicin and homocapsaicin
2,000,000 - 5,300,000	Self-defense spray
2,200,000	Pepper Carolina Reaper (the world's hottest since 2013)
2,000,000	Pepper Moruga
1,463,700	Pepper Trinidad Scorpion Butch Taylor
1,382,118	Naga Viper Pepper
1,000,000	Pepper Bhut Jolokia
876,000 - 970,000	Naga Dorset Pepper
855,000 - 1,041,427	Naga Jolokia or Tezpur Pepper
350,000 - 577,000	Habanero Pepper, Red Savina variety
100,000 - 325,000	Habanero Pepper (West Indian pepper), Scotch Bonnet, Rocoto pepper, Jamaican Hot pepper, African Birdseye
50,000 - 100,000	Thai Hot Pepper, Malagueta pepper, Chiltepin Pepper,
30,000 - 60,000	Bird's Eye Chili or pequin pepper
30,000 - 50,000	Cayenne Pepper
10,000 - 23,000	Serrano Pepper
5,000 - 10,000	Hungarian Pepper, Hot Wax
4,500 - 5,000	New Mexico Pepper variety of Anaheim Pepper
2,500 - 8,000	Pepper Jalapeño
2,500 - 5,000	Sauce Red Tabasco
1,500 - 2,500	Pepper Rocotillo , Sriracha
1,000 - 1,500	Pepper Poblano
500 - 2,500	Anaheim Pepper
600 - 800	Sauce Green Tabasco
100 - 500	Sweet paprika, sweet peppers and some bell peppers
0	Bell Pepper

Today you can find sauces rated at 1,000,000 on the Scoville scale, these are the world's hottest sauces, to be handled with extreme caution and kept away from children, at risk of severe irritation (eyes and mouth). Consult the precautions for use page for extreme hot sauces. You can also learn more about capsaicin.

We invite you to discover the ranking of peppers on the Scoville scale. As well as the ranking of sauces on the Scoville scale.

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