Although blind tasting a pepper to measure its heat is possible, it is not advised – ouch! Use the Scoville scale instead. The hottest peppers have the largest Scoville Heat Unit counts, which are used to measure pepper heat. These figures are represented virtually all hot peppers on the Scoville scale.

Scoville scale

The “range” Scoville Heat Units (SHU) commonly used to call a pepper mild, medium, hot or extra hot are:

• Mild (100 to 2,500)
• Medium (2,500 to 30,000)
• Hot (30,000 to 100,000)
• Extra hot (100,000 to 300,000)
• Extremely hot (above 300,000)

Here are some SHUs of popular peppers according to the Scoville scale:

• Carolina reaper: 1,641,000 – 2,000,000 SHU
• Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper): 1,000,000 – 1,500,000 SHU
• Habanero: 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
• Tabasco: 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
• Cayenne: 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
• Jalapeno: 4,000 – 8,500 SHU
• Poblano (Ancho): 1,000 – 1,500 SHU

How does the Scoville test work?

The Scoville test, devised by Wilbur L. Scoville in 1912, was the first laboratory approach to measuring heat in peppers. In this method, widely used until recently, people taste a pepper sample and record the heat level. The samples are then diluted in the laboratory until tasters no longer detect heat. This dilution is called the Scoville Heat Unit. However, the method is subjective, as it depends on the palate and the sensitivity of the taster. Many now believe that a process developed by scientists to determine a pepper’s Scoville scale classification by measuring the presence of alkaloids that cause the heat is a more accurate assessment.

What is the hottest pepper?

Growers of hot peppers are constantly working to improve their hottest varieties and claim the title ”World’s Hottest Pepper.” The Carolina Reaper now holds the record with a scorchingly high official score of 1,641,300 Scoville Heat Units.

The heat level of hot peppers is influenced by plant genetics, but environmental factors are also important. When there is drought and it is hot outside, hot peppers grow fastest. Allow hot peppers to develop fully on the plant to reach their maximum heat potential; the longer you wait to harvest them, the hotter they will be.

The Carolina Reaper – Officially the hottest pepper in the world

Because there are so many different types of peppers, with so many different heat levels, we at The Grow Supplier recommend trying what you like best (and can handle in terms of heat!).

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