Scoville scale 43036 225648473 2008-07-14T18:51:54Z Badagnani 308437 /* List of Scoville ratings */ [[Image:Naga Jolokia Peppers.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Naga Jolokia]] (naga morich, bhut jolokia), the Bangladeshi chili tested hottest in the world at 1,040,000 '''SHU'''.]] [[Image:Red savina cropped.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[Red Savina]] pepper, one of the hottest chilis, is rated at 580,000 '''SHU'''. Only the Naga Jolokia is hotter.]] The '''Scoville scale''' is a measure of the hotness or [[Pungency|piquancy]] of a [[chili pepper]]. These fruits of the ''[[Capsicum]]'' genus contain [[capsaicin]], a [[chemical compound]] which stimulates [[chemoreceptor]] [[nerve ending]]s in the [[skin]], especially the [[mucous membranes]]. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Some [[hot sauce]]s use their Scoville rating in advertising as a selling point. The scale is named after its creator, American chemist [[Wilbur Scoville]], who developed a test for rating the pungency of chili peppers. His method, which he devised in [[1912]],<ref>The Journal of the American Pharmacists Association 1912; 1:453–4</ref> is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test. An alternative method of quantitative analysis, known as [[HPLC|high-performance liquid chromatography]], directly measures capsaicinoids and attempts to relate the measured concentration in [[Parts per million|ppm]] to the Scoville scale using a mathematical conversion factor of 15, 20 or 30 depending on the capsaicinoid<ref>Uhl, Sushella. "Fire and Spice", Food Product Design, May 1996.</ref>. ==Scoville Organoleptic Test== In Scoville's method, as originally devised, a solution of the pepper extract is diluted in [[sugar]] [[water]] until the "heat" is no longer detectable to a panel of (usually five) tasters; the degree of dilution gives its measure on the Scoville scale. Thus a [[sweet pepper]] or a [[bell pepper]], containing no [[capsaicin]] at all, has a Scoville rating of zero, meaning no heat detectable, even undiluted. Conversely, the hottest chilis, such as [[Habanero chile|habaneros]], have a rating of 200,000 or more, indicating that their extract has to be diluted 200,000-fold before the [[capsaicin]] present is undetectable. The greatest weakness of the Scoville Organoleptic Test is its imprecision, because it relies on human subjectivity. ==High-performance liquid chromatography (the Gillett Method)== [[Image:Red capsicum and cross section.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A [[Bell Pepper]] has a Scoville rating of zero]] Spice heat is now usually measured by a method using [[high performance liquid chromatography]] (HPLC). This identifies and measures the heat-producing chemicals. They are then used in a mathematical formula in which they are weighted according to their relative capacity to produce a sensation of heat. This method yields results, not in Scoville units, but in ASTA pungency units. A measurement of one part capsaicin per million corresponds to about 15 Scoville units, and the published method says that ASTA [[pungency]] units can be multiplied by 15 and reported as Scoville units. This conversion is approximate, and spice experts Donna R. Tainter and Anthony T. Grenis say that there is consensus that it gives results about 20–40% lower than the actual Scoville method would have given.<ref name="tainter">{{cite book | last = Tainter| first = Donna R.| coauthors = Anthony T. Grenis| year = 2001| title = Spices and Seasonings| publisher = Wiley-IEEE| id = ISBN 0-471-35575-5| url= http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&vid=ISBN0471355755&id=dfp4b3F0598C&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=scoville+units&sig=Kf0jDoOAoRK1rVKTgFT71bk-DHE|pages=p.30 }} &mdash; "Interlab variation [for the original Scoville scale] could be as high as + / - 50%. However, labs that run these procedures could generate reasonably repeatable results."</ref> ==List of Scoville ratings== <!-- PLEASE NOTE: THE BELOW LIST IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY, AND IS NOT A DEFINITIVE LIST OF HOT PEPPERS AND THEIR SCOVILLE RATINGS. Please refrain from adding peppers, particularly lesser-known ones. Uncited material may be removed. --> Pungency values for any pepper, stated in Scoville units, are imprecise, due to expected variation within a species&mdash;easily by a factor of 10 or more&mdash;depending on seed lineage, climate (humidity is a big factor for the Naga as the Dorset Naga and the original Naga have quite different ratings), and even soil (this is especially true of habaneros). The inaccuracies described in the measurement methods above also contribute to the imprecision of these values. When interpreting Scoville ratings, this should be kept in mind.<ref name="tainter"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Uhl|first=Sushella|title=Fire and Spice|publisher=Food Product Design|date=May 1996|url=http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1996/0596DE.html}} &mdash; "Scoville unit measurements cause errors due to build up of heat, rapid taste fatigue, increased taste threshold, and poor reproducibility. Scott Harris, technical service manager for Cal Compack Foods, Santa Ana, CA is quoted as saying "The coefficient of error is 50% for the Scoville method and less than 12% for the HPLC method."</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ '''Scoville scale''' ! Scoville rating ! Type of pepper |- |style="background-color:black; color:#FFFFFF" align="right" | 15,000,000–16,000,000 || Pure [[capsaicin]]<ref>Uhl (1996), op. cit. "The HPLC measures the capsaicinoid(s) in ppm, which can then be converted to Scoville units using a conversion factor of 15, 20 or 30 depending on the capsaicinoid." This would make capsaicin 15,000,000</ref> |- |style="background-color:#480101; color:#FFFFFF" align="right" | 8,600,000-9,100,000 || Various capsaicinoids, such as [[homocapsaicin]], [[homodihydrocapsaicin]], and [[nordihydrocapsaicin]] |- |style="background-color:#800000; color:#FFFFFF" align="right" | 2,000,000–5,300,000 || Standard U.S. Grade [[pepper spray]]<ref name=TimesDorsetNaga>{{cite news | first=Simon | last=de Bruxelles | title=The chilli so hot you need gloves | date=1 April 2006 | publisher=Times| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2113507,00.html}}</ref>, [[FN 303]] irritant ammunition |- |style="background-color:#bf0000; color:#FFFFFF" align="right" | 855,000–1,041,427 || [[Naga Jolokia pepper|Naga Jolokia]] <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frontalagritech.co.in/|title=By commercial HPLC analysis in 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peppersbypost.biz/dorsetnaga/other_sightings.html|title=High SC rating report for Jolokia acknowledged as sighted by Dorset Naga cultivar developer}}</ref><ref name="bosland">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nmsu.edu/~ucomm/Releases/2007/february/hottest_chile.htm|title=NMSU is home to the world’s hottest chile pepper|accessdate=2007-02-21|year=2007|author=Shaline L. Lopez|format=html}}</ref><ref name=World'sHottestPepper>{{cite news | last=AP | title=World's hottest chili pepper a mouthful for prof | date=23 February 2007 | publisher=CNN| url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/23/hot.pepper.ap/index.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070322224224/http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/23/hot.pepper.ap/index.html |archivedate=2007-03-22 }}</ref> |- |style="background-color:#ff3000; color:#FFFFFF" align="right" | 350,000–580,000 || [[Red Savina pepper|Red Savina]] Habanero<ref name="redsavina">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-habanero-pepper.htm|title=What is a Habanero Pepper?|accessdate=2008-03-31|publisher=wisegeek.com}}</ref><ref name="redsavina2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-1/Worlds-hottest-chile-pepper-discovered-991-1/|title=World's hottest chile pepper discovered|accessdate=2008-03-31|publisher=American Society for Horticultural Science}}</ref> |- |style="background-color:#ff6000; " align="right" | 100,000–350,000 || [[Habanero chili]],<ref name="homecookingabout">{{cite web|url=http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blhotchiles.htm|title=Chile Pepper Heat Scoville Scale|publisher=About.com|accessdate=2006-09-25}}</ref> [[Scotch bonnet (pepper)|Scotch Bonnet Pepper]] <ref name="homecookingabout"/> |- |style="background-color:#ff8000; " align="right" | 100,000–350,000 || [[Datil pepper]], [[Capsicum chinense]] |- |style="background-color:#ff8000; " align="right" | 100,000–200,000 || [[Rocoto]], Jamaican Hot Pepper <ref name="TimesDorsetNaga"/>, [[Piri piri|African Birdseye]] |- |style="background-color:#ff9000;" align="right" align="right" | 50,000–100,000 || [[Thai pepper|Thai Pepper]], [[Malagueta pepper|Malagueta Pepper]], [[Chiltepin pepper|Chiltepin Pepper]], [[Pequin|Pequin Pepper]] |- |style="background-color:#ffa000;" align="right" align="right" | 30,000–50,000 || [[Cayenne pepper|Cayenne Pepper]], [[Ají pepper]] <ref name="homecookingabout"/>, [[Tabasco pepper]], some [[Chipotle]] peppers |- |style="background-color:#ffb000;" align="right" align="right" | 10,000–23,000 || [[Serrano pepper|Serrano Pepper]], some [[Chipotle]] peppers |- |style="background-color:#eecc00;" align="right" | 4,500–5,000 || [[New Mexico|New Mexican]] varieties of [[Anaheim pepper]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/documents/chileheat.pdf |title=Anaheim Pepper |accessdate=2007-10-22 |date=2007 |work=Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University }}</ref> Hungarian Wax Pepper<ref name="wax">{{Cite web|url=http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/78387/|title=Capsicum annuum 'Hungarian Wax'|accessdate=2008-04-05}}</ref> |- |style="background-color:#eeca00;" align="right" | 2,500–8,000 || [[Jalapeño]] Pepper, [[Guajillo chili|Guajillo]] pepper |- |style="background-color:#eeea00;" align="right" | 1,500–2,500 || [[Rocotillo Pepper]] |- |style="background-color:#defa00;" align="right" | 1,000–1,500 || [[Poblano]] Pepper |- |style="background-color:#bbff00;" align="right" | 500–2,500 || [[Anaheim pepper]] <ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/3577000.html |title=Anaheim Pepper |accessdate=2007-10-17 |date=2007 |work=Truestar Health Encyclopedia }}</ref> |- |style="background-color:#88ff00;" align="right" | 100–500 || [[Pimento]]<ref name="TimesDorsetNaga"/>, [[Pepperoncini]] |- |style="background-color:#34CC00" align="right" | 0 || No heat, [[Bell pepper]] <ref name="TimesDorsetNaga"/> |} ==References== {{reflist|2}} <!-- Categories --> [[Category:Scales]] [[Category:Chili peppers|*Scoville scale]] <!-- Interwiki links --> [[cs:Scovilleho stupnice]] [[da:Scoville]] [[de:Scoville-Skala]] [[es:Escala Scoville]] [[fr:Échelle de Scoville]] [[ko:스코빌 스케일]] [[id:Skala Scoville]] [[it:Scala di Scoville]] [[kn:ಸ್ಕೋವಿಲ್]] [[lb:Scoville-Skala]] [[hu:Scoville-skála]] [[nl:Scovilleschaal]] [[ja:スコヴィル値]] [[pl:Skala Scoville'a]] [[pt:Escala de Scoville]] [[ru:Жгучий вкус]] [[fi:Scovillen asteikko]] [[sv:Scoville]] [[vi:Độ cay Scoville]] [[tr:Scoville Acılık Ölçeği]] [[zh:史高維爾指標]]