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HOW TO SELECT CHILI PEPPERS BASED ON THEIR SPICINESS? HERE'S A SPICY GUIDE!
published on 20/01/2024When we feel the sensation of fire in our mouth and a burning sensation, it's due to capsaicin, the substance that interacts with certain thermoreceptors in the mouth (and stomach) that send a "fire" signal to the brain. In reality, there is no increase in temperature in the mouth; it's our brain that makes us think so.
To measure how spicy a chili pepper can be, we use the Scoville scale, named in honor of its inventor, Wilbur Scoville, an American chemist with a heart (and mouth) on fire, who created his organoleptic test back in 1912. The Scoville scale uses the Shu (Scoville Heat Units) as the unit of measurement and assigns a value of 16 million to pure capsaicin. To give you an idea, law enforcement pepper spray ranges between 2.5 and 6 million Shu, while sweet bell peppers have zero Shu.
The true champions of spiciness belong to the Capsicum chinense family, with their extravagant shape. Among them are the Habanero, which approaches 500,000 Shu, Bhut Jolokia with one million Scoville, and two of the three hottest peppers on the planet: Trinidad Scorpion and Carolina Reaper, exceeding 1,900,000 and 2,500,000 Shu, respectively. But beware, they are hot, hot, hot!
Pairing a chili pepper with a dish is not trivial. It's not enough to take a chili pepper and throw it into the pot. Flavoring is an art, a culture, and a philosophy of good taste! That's why we have created a small guide on chili peppers.
