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The Scoville Scale is a measure
for hotness or piquancy of a chilli pepper. Chilli peppers contain a chemical
compound called 'capsaicin'. This is the stuff that makes your mouth burn, makes
you salivate and causes your ears and neck to burn up. It is this very compound
which is used by Police forces as pepper spray (although even they do not use
pure capsaicin).
As you'll see from the scale, the
most commonly used peppers and sauces are way down the scale, but there are many
more sauces and additives (made from extracts) on the market now.
|
Scoville rating |
Type of pepper |
|
15,000,000–17,000,000 |
Pure
capsaicin / liquid fire / liquid magma |
|
9,100,000 |
Nordihydrocapsaicin - eating hot coals |
|
2,000,000–5,300,000 |
Standard US Grade pepper spray - crying like a baby |
|
855,000–1,041,427 |
Naga
Jolokia / Naga Morich / Dorset Naga - chest pains |
|
350,000–577,000 |
Red
Savina Habanero - stomach pains |
|
100,000–350,000 |
Habanero, Scotch Bonnet - backs of your eyes begin to melt |
|
100,000–200,000 |
Rocoto, Jamaican Hot Pepper, African Birdseye |
|
50,000–100,000 |
Thai
Pepper, Malagueta pepper, Chiltepin Pepper, Pequin Pepper |
|
30,000–50,000 |
Cayenne Pepper, Aji Pepper, Tabasco Pepper |
|
10,000–23,000 |
Serrano Pepper |
|
7,000–8,000 |
Tabasco Sauce (Habanero) |
|
5,000–10,000 |
Wax
Pepper |
|
2,500–8,000 |
Jalapeno Pepper |
|
4,500–5,000 |
New
Mexico Peppers |
|
2,500–5,000 |
Tabasco Sauce (Tabasco) |
|
1,500–2,500 |
Rocotillo Pepper |
|
1,000–1,500 |
Poblano Pepper |
|
600–800 |
Tabasco Sauce (Green Pepper) |
|
500–2500 |
Anaheim Pepper |
|
100–500 |
Pimento, Tabasco Sauce (Sweet & Spicy) |
|
0 |
No
heat, Bell Pepper - for wusses. |
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