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SCOVILLE SCALE
The Scoville scale is a measure of the "hotness" of a chili pepper. These fruits of the Capsicum genus contain capsaicin, a chemical compound which stimulates thermoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucus membranes, and the number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Many hot sauces use their Scoville rating in advertising as a selling point. The scale is named after its creator, chemist Wilbur Scoville.
Pungency values for any pepper, stated in "Scoville units," are imprecise, for three reasons:
- They may vary considerably within a species—easily by a factor of 10 or more—depending on seed lineage, climate and even soil. This is especially true of habaneros
- True "Scoville units" are the result of an organoleptic test, in which the measurements of the same sample can vary by ±50%.
When interpreting Scoville ratings, this imprecision should be kept in mind
Below is a table of estimated Scoville Ratings. You may however wish to steer clear of the “Police Grade Pepper Spray” !!!…
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16,000,000
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Pure capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin
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9,100,000
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Nordihydrocapsaicin
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8,600,000
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Homodihydrocapsaicin and homocapsaicin
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5,300,000
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Police grade pepper spray
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2,000,000
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Common pepper spray
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855,000
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Naga Jolokia pepper
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350,000 - 580,000
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Red Savina habanero
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100,000 - 350,000
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Habanero chile
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100,000 - 325,000
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Scotch bonnet
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100,000 - 225,000
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African birdseye (aka "African Devil")
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100,000 - 200,000
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Jamaican hot pepper
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100,000 - 125,000
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Carolina cayenne pepper
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95,000 - 110,000
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Bahamian pepper
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85,000 - 115,000
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Tabiche pepper
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50,000 - 100,000
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Thai pepper
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50,000 - 100,000
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Chiltepin pepper
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50,000 - 100,000
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Rocoto
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40,000 - 58,000
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Pequin pepper
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40,000 - 50,000
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Super chile pepper
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40,000 - 50,000
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Santaka pepper
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30,000 - 50,000
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Cayenne pepper
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30,000 - 50,000
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Tabasco pepper
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15,000 - 30,000
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de Arbol pepper
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12,000 - 30,000
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Manzano pepper, Ají
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5,000 - 23,000
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Serrano pepper
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5,000 - 10,000
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Hot wax pepper
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5,000 - 10,000
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Chipotle
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2,500 - 8,000
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Jalapeño
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2,500 - 8,000
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Santaka pepper
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2,500 - 5,000
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Guajilla pepper
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1,500 - 2,500
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Rocotilla pepper
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1,000 - 2,000
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Pasilla pepper
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1,000 - 2,000
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Ancho pepper
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1,000 - 2,000
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Poblano pepper
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700 - 1,000
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Coronado pepper
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500 - 2,500
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Anaheim pepper
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500 - 1,000
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New Mexico pepper
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500 - 700
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Santa Fe Grande pepper
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100 - 500
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Pepperoncini pepper
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100 - 500
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Pimento
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0
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Sweet bell pepper
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