“What Makes Some Peppers Spicier Than Others?” And Other Chile Questions Answered
We love chile peppers here at JVI, but we know the category can cause some frustration and confusion. We often get questions like: “Why aren’t my red finger hots as spicy as last time?” or “Why aren’t red jalapeños available?” or “What is the spiciest pepper I can buy?” We’ve put together this guide to answer the most common questions we receive about chile peppers – and we’ve even included a list of all the pepper varieties we handle, from mildest to most fiery.
What is the Scoville Scale? It’s a scale developed by a pharmacologist named Wilbur Scoville in 1912 (just seven years before JVI was born!) to measure a peppers pungency and spiciness in “Scoville Heat Units”. A pepper’s spiciness comes from capsaicinoids – namely capsaicin – a family of natural compounds found in all chile peppers. Capsaicin is technically an irritant to mammals, hence the burning sensation when you eat food with spicy peppers!
How are Scoville Heat Units (SHU) measured? Originally, SHU were determined by an organoleptic method (meaning it relied on human senses for results) created by Mr. Scoville. Peppers were distilled into a solution and tasted by a panel of testers. The solution was gradually diluted until the tasters could no longer sense any heat in the liquid. The number of dilutions it took to eliminate the heat determined the SHU rating. Nowadays, a laboratory test called High Performance Liquid Chromatography or HPLC is used to determine the amount of capsaicin in a pepper – but the results are still converted back into Scoville Heat Units for consistency.
Why do some pepper varieties have such a huge range of spiciness? Chile peppers are exceptionally sensitive to the conditions in which they were grown. In addition to variations between individual cultivars (there are many cultivars – or strains – of each variety), environmental conditions like consistency of rain, soil composition, humidity, direct sun exposure, and exposure to pests can have a huge impact on the spiciness of a particular pepper plant. Even two peppers from the same plant can have different spice levels! Farmers work hard to produce a consistent pepper, but they cannot always control what Mother Nature brings to the table each season.
Are red and green versions of the same pepper different varieties? Nope! They’re the same pepper, at different stages of ripeness. All peppers start out green, and almost all eventually ripen to red, passing through a range of color variations on the way (although some varieties may be yellow, orange, or even remain green at full ripeness). Many varieties of pepper are enjoyed at both their immature green stage, and their ripe color stage. You will often find that red or colored peppers are more expensive and harder to come by than green ones, because they are more expensive to produce (they take more care and must stay on the vine for longer). Green peppers are usually crisper and grassier, while red peppers are often sweeter or fruitier.
Are colored peppers or green peppers spicier? In chile peppers, the mature red or colored peppers are almost always spicier than their immature green counterparts, as the fruits continue to develop capsaicin as they mature.
Is it true that the seeds are the spiciest part of a pepper? Close – but not quite! Actually, the white “pith” called placenta is where the heat of a pepper is contained. If you want to reduce the spiciness of a dish, try scraping this part off of the outer walls before using.
How can I pick out the spiciest peppers? Generally, older peppers are spiciest. Look for large peppers with brown scarring called “corking” – and consider choosing the red variety, if available – to get the most heat, as these are signs of maturity in a pepper. But the best way? Try before you buy!
Can I quell the spiciness after I’ve gone too far? Not really. You can try full-fat milk or other full-fat dairy products, which have fat molecules that bind to the capsaicin and may potentially help mitigate the pain. But they won’t eliminate it. And definitely DO NOT drink water! Capsaicin is water-soluable and drinking water, even if it’s cold, will just further spread the burn throughout your mouth.
Just how spicy are the spiciest peppers? REALLY SPICY. Like, don’t even touch them with your bare hands because they will burn your skin. Use gloves when handling and be careful when washing the cutting board you used – if you expose it to hot water the steam can lift the capsaicin and burn your nose or throat!
Is it “chile pepper” or “chili pepper”? Lots of people use both spellings, but we prefer chile, because technically chili is a yummy dish made of meat and/or beans – not a pepper!
Why can’t I find aji amarillo, padron, or other niche pepper varieties for sale? There are hundreds of varieties of peppers in the world – and only a very small portion of those are grown commercially. Commercial production relies upon two factors coming together: a large enough market for the variety, and the ability to grow them on a large scale. Import regulations also play a role, as some countries are not approved by the USDA to send fresh peppers to the US. Some pepper varieties are just too niche – and many are too finicky or fragile to grow and ship commercially. Sometimes you can find such varieties grown by small farmers during your local season. Alternatively you can often purchase pastes, powders, or other preserved ingredients made from the pepper in lieu of the fresh.
What peppers can I get at JVI? Glad you asked! Check out our pepper page here! And to help you choose the best pepper for your needs, we’ve put together this handy list of the most common commercially-grown pepper varieties, organized by SHU and grouped into our own, very special “That’s Hot” Scale.
JVI “THAT’S HOT” SCALE:
0-🔥 = NICE & MILD
🔥🔥 = A TOUCH OF HEAT
🔥🔥🔥 = FRIENDLY HOT
🔥🔥🔥🔥 = OH, IT’S ACTUALLY REALLY SPICY
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 = SWEAT-INDUCING
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 = LITERALLY FACE-MELTING
THE PEPPERS:
0-🔥 NICE & MILD
BELL PEPPER: 0 SHU
No capsaicin to be found.
HABANADA: 0 SHU
Habanero flavor – nada heat.
AJÍ CACHUCHA: 0-1,000 SHU
A must-have in Caribbean sofritos.
🔥🔥 A TOUCH OF HEAT
CHERRY HOT: 100-500 SHU
Perfect for stuffing, pickling, or making into a classic deli relish.
LONG HOT: 100-1000 SHU
Fried or roasted on a roast pork sandwich. That is all. (We are from Philly, don’t ya know.)
SHISHITO: 100-1,000 SHU
Popular pan fried, sautéed, or grilled for a solid izakaya bar snack.
CUBANELLE: 100-1,000 SHU
Excellent fried, stuffed, or in authentic Cuban, Puerto Rican, or Dominican recipes.
ANAHEIM: 500-2,500 SHU
Ideal in chiles rellenos or any other Southwestern stuffed pepper dish.
POBLANO: 1,000-2,000 SHU
Best when roasted before use, ubiquitous in Mexico.
🔥🔥🔥 FRIENDLY HOT
JALAPEÑO: 2,500-8,000 SHU
The classic chile pepper for everything from escabeche to bánh mì.
FRESNO: 2,500-10,000 SHU
A fruity, colorful substitute for jalapeños or serranos.
HUNGARIAN HOT: 5,000-8,000 SHU
A tangy-sweet-hot flavor perfect for salads, salsas, and pickles.
CARIBE: 5,000-10,000 SHU
Versatile use in many Mexican or Caribbean sauces or salsas.
🔥🔥🔥🔥 OH, IT’S ACTUALLY REALLY SPICY
SERRANO: 10,000-25,000 SHU
Used in Latin America and Asia, prized for its clean, grassy heat.
DUTCH (RED FINGER HOT): 20,000-30,000 SHU
Use anywhere bright red color and a clean heat are desired.
GREEN FINGER HOT (JWALA): 20,000-30,000 SHU
THE Indian hot pepper.
MANZANO: 30,000-250,000 SHU
A South American classic stuffed with ground beef, or added to soups and salsas.
THAI HOT: 50,000-100,000 SHU
Where most of the heat in Southeast Asian food comes from.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 SWEAT-INDUCING
HABANERO: 100,000-350,000 SHU
A fruity, bracing heat for salsas, sauces, curries, stews, and even desserts!
BHUT JOLOKIA (GHOST): 800,000-1,041,427 SHU
Only for the bravest hot sauce eaters. Use sparingly!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 LITERALLY FACE-MELTING
TRINIDAD SCORPION: 1,200,000-2,000,000 SHU
Fruity pepper of Caribbean origin for face-melting sweet-hot salsas.
CAROLINA REAPER: 2,200,000 SHU
The current record holder as the hottest pepper on earth.
Now that you’re equipped with all this knowledge, go forth and get a burn on! And remember to check out our CHILE PEPPER PAGE for more info!
