• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Cook's Notebook
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop

Just Maika Cooking

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cook's Notebook
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cook's Notebook
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home

    Published: Jun 19, 2023 · Modified: Oct 14, 2023 by Maika · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Scoville Scale and Chili Peppers

    Become a Better Cook! This Just Maika Cooking: Cook’s Notebook section will focus on everything related to the Scoville Scale and Chili Peppers connected to all my recipe posts, updated frequently.

    Jump to:
    • What is the Scoville Scale?
    • Grow Your Library
    • Is the Carolina Reaper Really the Hottest Pepper?
    • Scoville Scale (Average SHU Range) with Place of Origin/Popularity
    • Popular Chili Pepper Pairings with Global Cusines in the United States
    • Sound Like Chili Peppers but Are Not
    • Pepper Paste with SHU
    • What Helps Relief Chili Pepper Heat from Spicy Foods?
    • What is Your Favorite Hot Sauce?  I Can't Live without Spicy Food!
    • Popular Hot Sauce Gift Packs
    • Cook's Notebook: Become a Better Cook!
    • Spicy Recipes
    macho jalapeno turning green to red held in hand

    Jalapeno Mammoth from my Garden

    What is the Scoville Scale?

    It's a popular scale used to measure a chili pepper's heat level. The higher the number on the Scoville scale, the hotter.  It's on a scale because the pepper's heat falls under a particular range.  The chilies get their heat from the capsaicin, which is responsible for the irritation, pain, or burning sensation you may feel.  

    All spicy peppers have a certain concentration of capsaicin—hence the use of SHU, Scoville Heat Units, to determine where it falls on the scale. So let's give Scientist Wilbur Scoville, an American pharmacist, a shout-out for creating this method's birth in 1912.  The Scoville Scale below shows the Carolina Reaper as the hottest chili pepper.

    Grow Your Library

    Is the Carolina Reaper Really the Hottest Pepper?

    There are many hotter peppers, but the hottest pepper consumed is the Caroline Reaper.  A brave man named Gregory Foster ate 10 of these bad boys in 33.15 seconds on September 17, 2022.  

    Another guy, Mike Jack, ate 50 in 6.49 seconds on November 5, 2022.  Both are in the Guinness World Records.  Two of the many peppers hotter than the Caroline Reaper are the Komodo Dragon 1, 400,000 to 2,200,000 SHU, and Pepper X, with 3,1800,000 SHU.

    close up of macho peppers in the garden

    Macho Pepper from my Garden

    Scoville Scale (Average SHU Range) with Place of Origin/Popularity

    SHUPepper NameOriginRecipes
    2,000,000Carolina Reaper PepperSouth Carolina, United States
    750,000-1,5,000Trinidad Moruga ScorpionMoruga, Rinanadad and Tabago
    Naga Viper PepperCumbria, England
    Infinity ChiliGrantham, Lincolnshire, England
    Bhut Jolokia / Naga Jolokia, aka Ghost Pepper
    Northeast India: Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland
    350,000–750,000    Red Savina HabaneroCalifornia, United States
    100,000–350,000Habanero Chili North of South America in the Amazon
    Scotch Bonnet Pepper West Africa
    Macho Pepper Oaxaca and Yucatan Region of Mexico
    50,000–100,000Bird's Chili, aka Thai Chili PepperSouth East Asia
    Malagueta PepperBrazil
    25,000–50,000Aji AmarilloPeru
    Tabasco Pepper Mexico
    Cayenne Pepper Cayenne, French GuianaButternut Squash Chicken Chili
    Chile de Arbol Mexico
    10,000–25,000Serrano Pepper Puebla and Hidalgo, Mexico
    Aleppo PepperAleppo, Syria
    Chongyang Chili Pepper South Korea
    2,500–10,000Jalapeño peppers / Chipotle MexicoJalapeno Pesto and Argentinian Shrimp Pasta
    Guajillo ChiliMexico
    Baklouti Pepper Tunisia
    1,000–2,500Poblano Pepper / AnchoPuebla, Mexico
    500–1,000 Cubanelle Caribbean: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Peurto Rico, and Italy
    Beaver Dam Pepper Wisconsin, United States
    0–500Pimiento South America
    Medusa Peppers South America
    Shishito PeppersJapaneseShishito Eggplant Shrimp Stir-Fry
    0Bell Pepper / Paprika Central and South America
    Peperone CruscoBasilicata, Italy
    close up of medusa peppers in the garden

    Medusa Pepper Plant in my Garden.

    Popular Chili Pepper Pairings with Global Cusines in the United States

    Aleppo PepperMeditterean and North African Cuisine
    Bird's Chili aka Thai Chili PepperSouth East Asian Cuisine
    Habanero Peppers Caribbean Cuisine
    Jalapeño peppersVery Versatile
    Serrano Pepper East African, Indian, and Mexican Cuisine
    Scotch Bonnet PepperWest African and Caribbean Cuisine
    close up of medusa and macho peppers in a flat Japanese basket

    Picked Medusa and Macho Peppers from my Garden

    Sound Like Chili Peppers but Are Not

    These papers actually are berries and, therefore, do not have Scoville units since they do not have capsaicin. 

    • Sansho Pepper (Japanese) / Chopi Pepper (Korean) - Citrusy Tingling Heat
    • Tellicherry Pepper aka Black Pepper (Native to South Asia) - Pungent Kick of Heat
    • Szechuan Pepper (Chinese) - Tingling Heat
    close up of unripe medusa peppers in the garden

    Unripe Medusa Peppers in My Garden

    Pepper Paste with SHU

    • Gochujang and Gochugaru from the Cheongyang Chili Pepper.  10,000–25,000   SHU
    • Harissa from the Baklouti Pepper. 1,000-5,000 SHU
    • Zhug / Shug / S'kug (not sure yet, but serrano and jalapenos are commonly used) 2,000-8,000 SHU
    close up of unripe and ripe macho peppers in the garden

    Ripe (red) and Unripe (green) Macho Peppers in my Garden.

    What Helps Relief Chili Pepper Heat from Spicy Foods?

    Some say to drink a glass of milk or sour cream or eat yogurt, probably due to their acidic component.  Other acidic foods to help with relief can be lemons and tomatoes. Different ways can be using a sweetener like sugar, water, or honey.  

    Another way is through fatty foods like olive oil or peanut butter.  Avoid using water. Water is actually an aid for the heat since it is the component causing the burning sensation. Capsaicin is oil-based; it doesn't do anything but make it worse by spreading it around your mouth.  And you don't want that!  

    However, in the long run, if you enjoy spicy foods, eating them more often can help your body tolerate the heat intensity, and that tongue burn won't be quite so noticeable.

    close up of Men Pa'Ww gourmet hot sauce held in the hand

    Haitian Habanero Pepper Sauce by Men Pa’w

    What is Your Favorite Hot Sauce?  I Can't Live without Spicy Food!

    I can finish half a bottle of Cholula Hot Sauce on tacos.  Submerge my wings in Frank Red Hot Sauce.  Dab my boiled eggs with Tobasco.  I can't eat my pollo a la plancha with black bean sauce and rice without a good habanero sauce.  And I will not use one of the sauces with a different meal.  Good peppers combine sweetness and smokiness, making them unique and perfect for certain dishes.

    Popular Hot Sauce Gift Packs

    Cook's Notebook: Become a Better Cook!

    What else do you want to learn about today?

    • two halved acorn squash skin side up. one in whole while the other has been cut into sliced rings half way through laying on a cutting board next to a knife
      Prepping Gourds
    • halved mangos on a plastic hard cutting board with a knife
      Prepping Mangoes
    • mixed mushrooms on a round tray
      Tips on How to Prepare and Cook Mushrooms
    • lamb chops on a cutting board with a boning knife
      Prepping Lamb
    See more cooks-notebook →

    Spicy Recipes

    Are you looking for spicy recipes? Check these out:

    • top view of the Curry spatchcocked chicken with vegetables plated in a large wide round bowl
      Easy Roasted Curry Spatchcocked Chicken and Vegetables
    • top view of the plated easy spicy italian chicken sausage soup with farro and israeli couscous
      Easy Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage Soup with Farro
    • top view of the spicy calabrian pepper tomato chicken chowder with chopped bacon and parsley in an oval wide bowl on a wooden counter
      Easy Spicy Calabrian Pepper Tomato Chicken Chowder
    • top view of the creamy spicy sweet potato chicken and dumplings soup
      Creamy Spicy Sweet Potato Chicken and Dumplings
    See more Spicy →

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Author profile picture

    Welcome. I’m Maika, a former professional culinarian for over a decade. I’ve worked for major hotels such as the PGA National Resort, The Ritz-Carlon Hotel Company, Conrad Hilton, and W Hotel. And as a lifetime passionate cook, my blog is about exploring a world of flavors and experimenting with recipes to create restaurant-quality quick and easy dishes that will excite the taste buds.

    More about me →

    popular

    • Whipped garlic herbed cottage cheese in a small round glass bowl
      Healthy Whipped Garlic Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread
    • chicken, green beans, onions, red bell peppers and mushrooms in a pan with hoisin sauce
      Chicken Stir-Fry with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Green Beans in Hoisin Sauce
    • Strawberries, Banana, Angle Food Cake and Whipped Cream Layered in a Glass Cup
      Strawberry and Banana Shortcake
    • Air Fryer Branzino with Lemon Potatoes and Vegetables
    See more popular →

    Pollotarian

    • top view of the Chicken Paillard with Cranberry Pecan Acorn Squash Salad
      Chicken Paillard with Cranberry Pecan Acorn Squash Salad
    • Top view the of Calabrian Pepper & Lemon Yogurt Baked Chicken and Vegetables dish.
      Calabrian Pepper & Lemon Yogurt Baked Chicken and Vegetables
    • top view of Air Fryer Butternut Squash Spiced Chickpeas Chicken Soup in a round wide soup bowl on a wooden board
      Air Fryer Butternut Squash Spiced Chickpeas Chicken Soup
    • top view of the Roasted Calabrian Pepper Spatchcocked Chicken & Vegetables with yogurt sauce on the bottom of the plate
      Roasted Calabrian Pepper Spatchcocked Chicken & Vegetables
    See more Pollotarian →

    Vegetarian

    • top view of Vegetarian Chipotle Mushroom Lentil Bean Chili in a wide soup bowl topped with sour cream, diced avocado, pico de gallo and pepper jack shredded cheese blend
      Vegetarian Chipotle Mushroom Lentil Bean Chili
    • oven-baked parmesan pesto corn on the cob on a rectangular plate with half of a lemon on a wooden background
      Easy Oven Baked Pecorino Basil Pesto Corn on the Cob
    • spicy basil pesto in glass bowl with a spoon and fresh basil in the background
      Homemade Easy Spicy Basil Pesto
    • Whipped Cottage Cheese stuffed French Omelet on a round white plate with sliced strawberries and toasted sourdough bread
      French Omelet with Whipped Garlic Herbed Cottage Cheese
    See more Vegetarian →

    Fall

    • top view of the plated aleppo pepper spiced dill lentil chicken soup in a round wide bowl
      Easy Aleppo Pepper Spiced Dill Lentil Chicken Soup
    • italian chicken sausage stuffed portobello mushroom wtih spaghetti smothered in tomato sauce and melted burrata cheese
      Italian Chicken Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Burrata & Sauce
    • Chicken sweet potato zucchini stew in a tomato base sauce with couscous in a round white pasta bowl on a wooden board
      Spicy Chicken Vegetable Stew with Harissa Tomato Sauce
    • herbed mashed potatoes topped with a salmon patty topped with sauteed green smothered in red tomato sauce and mushrooms garnished with chopped parsley on a round white plate.
      Smothered Salmon Salisbury Steak with Tomato Mushroom Gravy
    See more Fall →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Legal Stuff

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Disclaimer
    • Acceptable Use Policy

    Helpful Links

    • About
    • Recipes
    • Cook's Notebook
    • Contact & Subscribe

    Affiliates

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Just Maika Cooking, a Growth Culinary LLC Company. All Rights Reserved.