How Hot is “Hot”?
We just bought a Bhut Jolokia or “ghost pepper” at the farmer’s market last week. Raif, that is all yours.
How Hot is “Hot”? Back in 1902, a scientist by the name of Wilbur Scoville devised a test to measure the relative heat of the chile peppers. This resulting scale is referred to as the “Scoville Scale”. For example, bell peppers register a “0-100″ on the Scoville, while the mighty habanero registers a whopping “300,000+”. That’s hot!
Here’s a list of commonly eaten peppers, with their Scoville rating (from mildest to hottest):
- Bell peppers with a rating of 0-100
- Anahaeim peppers with a rating of 500-3,500
- Ancho/Poblano peppers with a rating of 500-1,000
- Pasilla peppers with a rating of 1,000-3,000
- Numex/New Mexico peppers with a rating of 3,000-4,000
- Hungarian peppers with a rating of 3,500-4,500
- Jalapeno peppers with a rating of 5,000-7,000
- Serrano peppers with a rating of 6,000-10,000
- De Arbol peppers with a rating of 15,000-30,000
- Cayenne peppers with a rating of 30,000-50,000
- Chipotle/Morita peppers with a rating of 75,000
- Chiltepin/Birdseye peppers with a rating of 50,000-100,000
- Scotch Bonnet peppers with a rating of 200,000
- Habanero peppers with a rating of 300,000+
- Habanero “Red Savina” with a rating of around 500,000
- Jolokia is now the official hottest, with a rating of over 1,000,000!
(Source: homegrown-peppers.com)
Our rooftop garden is under way. Ready for a summer of plump tomatoes, spicy peppers, and crisp lettuce! Next step, lawn chairs.
This spring is off to a good start!
Dinner Tonight: Taco salad with lettuce, ground beef, avocado, and homemade yogurt dressing and crunchy tortilla bowl!
