Cover photo: Badignani

The pungency of a pepper variety is measured using the Scoville scale and is counted in SHU (Scoville heat unit). How hot the pepper is depends on the amount of the alkaloid capsaicin contained in the respective pepper variety. 

Which type of pepper is the hottest?

  

1. bhut jolokia chilli

 

The pepper variety, which originates from India, has 800,000 to 1,000,000 SHU on the Scoville scale. It only became more popular in the western world after the turn of the millennium. In India, bhut jolokia is used to alleviate and cure stomach complaints. 

 

2. red savina habanero

 

The red variety of habanero pepper is around twice as hot as the normal variety. It was first cultivated in California and has 577,000 SHU.

 

3. habanero chilli

 

The traditional habanero chilli is from Mexico and is the best known of the hot pepper varieties. It has 100,000 to 350,000 SHU.

 

4. scotch bonnet

 

Another member of the habanero family is Scotch Bonnet, a pepper variety that originates from the Caribbean. Like the habanero, it has a ring of 100,000 to 350,000 SHU.

 

5. guntur chilli

 

Guntur chilli comes from India, Sri Lanka and South-East Asia. The tiny fruit has a value of 100,000 to 350,000 SHU.

 

6th Chiltepin (Tepin CHili)

 

The Chiltepin from Texas and Mexico is far less spicy than the Habanero. It has "only" 50,000 SHU.

 

7. cayenne pepper

 

The much better known cayenne pepper is named after a town in French Guiana and is usually used in powder form. Cayenne pepper has between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU.

 

8. tabasco

 

Tabasco pepper is used to make the sauce of the same name. It comes from Louisiana, the home of Tabasco sauce. Like cayenne pepper, Tabasco has 30,000 to 50,000 SHU.

 

9. serrano pepper

 

Serrano pepper also comes from Mexico and is categorised between 10,000 and 23,000 SHU.

 

10. pepperoni

 

Pepperoni (jalapeño) is already extremely hot for the German gourmet, but only reaches 2500 to 8000 SHU.