How Hot Is It? A Guide to the Scoville Scale
How Hot Is It? A Guide to the Scoville Scale
How hot is it? A guide to the Scoville scale
Have you ever felt like your mouth was on fire after tasting a spicy dish? If so, you've probably encountered chili peppers! These little red and green devils, as well as their sweet cousins, the peppers, have many surprises in store for us. Let me introduce you to the Scoville Scale, an epic journey to the heart of spice, where humor will be our guide!
Imagine yourself on a desert island with only one dish to eat... a dish of Carolina Reaper peppers, the most potent in the world. You would probably exclaim "SOS, I need milk, water, snow, anything to put out this fire!"
Well, you're about to discover that the Scoville Scale is the treasure map for taste adventurers! This scale, invented by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, measures the degree of spiciness of chili peppers. It goes from very gentle to very fiery hell. The unit of measurement is the adorable “Scoville Heat Unit” (SU).
At the bottom of the scale we find peppers, those that don't have any heat. They're rated 0 SU, as if saying, "Hey, we're here to deliver flavour without burning your taste buds!" Sweet peppers, like Espelette pepper, wink with their 4000 to 6000 SU: "We're a little naughty, but we're not going to make you blush!"
Go a little higher and you will encounter the wiri wiri, between 100,000 and 350,000 SU. He challenges you with his gaze: “Do you want to dance with the devil?” Then come the stars of the show, the Habaneros and the Thais, between 100,000 and 350,000 SU. They shout: “Lips on fire, hearts in turmoil!”
The highest point is reached with the Carolina Reaper pepper, at 1,500,000 to 2,200,000 SU. "I'm the king of spiciness, no one can compete!" he roared, making even the most reckless tremble.
But don't worry, there's always pepper to quell the flames and return to Earth. “Stay cool, I’m here to save the day!” he said with a superhero aura.
The Scoville Scale is an epic journey into the world of chili peppers. So the next time you see a spicy dish, you'll know where it falls on the spiciness scale. Take your courage in both hands, taste and let yourself be carried away by the explosive flavours of these little red and green devils!
Now, if you allow me, I'm going to go cool off in an ice bath.
|
Chili pepper |
Scoville Ranking |
Comment |
|
Carolina Reaper pepper |
1500000-2200000 SU |
"Carolina Reaper pepper - hell in the mouth, only for the bold and crazy!" |
|
Trinidad Scorpion Pepper |
1000000-2000000 SU |
"The Trinidad Scorpio pepper - it stings you and leaves you begging for forgiveness." |
|
Ghost Pepper |
800000-1041000 SU |
"Ghost Pepper - it's so strong it could haunt you until the end of time!" |
|
Wiriwiri |
100000-350000 SU |
"The wiriwiri - like an explosion of fire in your mouth, watch out for damage!" |
|
Habanero pepper |
100000-350000 SU |
"Habanero pepper - a fiery kiss on your lips." |
|
Thai pepper |
50000-100000 SU |
"Thai chili pepper - be careful, it burns hotter than the words of an argument!" |
|
Cayenne pepper |
30000-50000 SU |
"Cayenne pepper - it gives a spicy kick to your dishes!" |
|
Jalapeño pepper |
2500-8000 SU |
"Jalapeño pepper - when you want to dance with the devil without burning your feet." |
|
Pul Biber |
7000-8000 SU |
"Pul biber - the spice of choice for those who like a touch of heat without the tears." |
|
Espelette pepper |
4000-6000 SU |
"Espelette pepper - not as strong as an insult, but it has its effect!" |
|
Chipotle |
2500-10000 SU |
"Chipotle - smoky, spicy and ready to set your taste buds on fire! A delight for lovers of intense flavours." |
|
Pepper |
0 SU |
"Capsicum pepper - the coolest pepper ever, so sweet it blends in with vegetables!" |
