s c o v i l l e . h e a t
The Scoville heat unit is the closest thing to a standard for measuring the heat in a pepper. It is a measurement that involves adding sugar to a solution until one can no longer taste the pepper. The more sugar, the higher the spice, the greater measurement in Scoville units. Created in 1912, there are now more scientific measurements, but they generally use the Scoville units.
The following chart is an approximation of heat, used to compare the relative spiciness of peppers. I have constructed it, referencing two charts.
| Pepper Type | Heat rating (in Scoville heat units) |
| Habanero | 200,000-300,000 |
| Red Amazon | 75,000 |
| Pequin | 75,000 |
| Chiltecepin | 70,000-75,000 |
| Tabasco | 30,00-50,000 |
| Cayenne | 35,000 |
| Arbol | 25,000 |
| Japone | 25,000 |
| Smoked Jalepeno (Chipotle) | 10,000 |
| Serrano | 7,000-25,000 |
| Puya | 5,000 |
| Guajillo | 5,000 |
| Jalepeno | 3,500-4,500 |
| Poblano | 2,500-3,000 |
| Pasilla | 2,500 |
| TAM Mild Jalepeno-1 | 1,000-1,500 |
| Anaheim | 1,000-1,400 |
| New Mexican | 1,000 |
| Ancho | 1,000 |
| Bell & Pimento | 0 |
| 0-5,000: Mild | 5,000-20,000: Medium |
| 20,000-70,000: Hot | 70,000-300,000: Extremely Hot |
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