Scoville
Chili intensity measure
Scoville refers to a scale measuring the pungency of chili peppers and other spicy foods.
The Scoville heat unit (SHU) quantifies capsaicin concentration—bell peppers score zero, jalapeños around 5,000, and the hottest peppers exceed two million.
That habanero sauce is 350,000 Scoville.
Named for pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, who developed the original taste-based test in 1912.
Extremely pungent chili variety
Sharp smell or taste
- hotnessExtreme warmth or spice
- burningCombustion in progress
- fieryIntensely hot or passionate
- bitePierce with teeth
kick · zing · sharpness · sting · pepperiness · sensation · spiciness · warmth
Standard measures of quantity
- scaleMeasure of relative size
- ratingAssigned evaluative score
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- dilutionReduction in concentration
tasting · panel · ranking · concentration · testing · standardization · calibration · quantification
habanero
Extremely pungent chili variety
pungency
Sharp smell or taste
bite · kick · zing · sharpness · sting · pepperiness · sensation · spiciness · warmth · tingle
units
Standard measures of quantity
dilution · tasting · panel · ranking · concentration · testing · standardization · calibration · quantification · index
sriracha
Thai-style chili condiment
Scovillemild
Moderate in intensity
bland · bell pepper · plain · no heat · cooling
Scovillesweetness
Sugary taste quality
sweet · sugar content · umami · cooling sensation · anesthetic
- Scoville scaleCapsaicin concentration ranking system
- Scoville unitsSpiciness measurement standard