The Scoville Scale - If you can’t stand the heat….

 Pepper stand at market in Texas, with Scoville scale.

The Scoville scale is the measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers or other spicy foods as reported in Scoville heat units (SHU), a function of capsaicin concentration. The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. His method, devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test.

Unlike methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography, the Scoville scale is an empirical measurement dependent on the capsaicin sensitivity of testers and so is not a precise or accurate method to measure capsaicinoid concentration.



THE SCOVILLE SCALE of Peppers

15,000,000 - 16,000,000: Pure Capsaicin

2,000,000 - 5,300,000: Pepper Spray
1,400,000 - 2,200,000: Carolina Reaper
1,200,000 - 2,000,000: Trinidad Scorpion
855,000 - 1,041,427: Ghost Pepper
425,000 - 577,000: Chocolate Habanero
350,000 - 577,000: Red Savina Habanero


100,000 - 350,000: Habanero
100,000 - 350,000: Scotch Bonnet
50,000 - 100,000: Thai Pepper
50,000 - 100,000: Chiltepin
50,000 - 100,000: Malagueta Pepper


40,000 - 60,000: Pequin Pepper
30,000 - 50,000: Cayenne Pepper
30,000 - 50,000: Tabasco Pepper
10,000 - 23,000: Serrano Pepper
5,000 - 10,000: Hungarian Wax
2,500 - 8,000: Jalapeño Pepper


1,500 - 2,500: Rocotillo Pepper
1,000 - 1,500: Poblano Pepper
500 - 2,500: Anaheim Pepper
100 - 500: Pimento Pepper
100 - 500: Pepperoncini
0: Bell Pepper


  Pepper stand at market in Texas, with Scoville scale.
A single ripe scotch bonnet pepper