The Scoville scale, created by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912, measures the heat of a pepper by the concentration of a chemical compound called capsaicin. This compound gives that burning/spicy sensation that many of us know and love. The Scoville heat units (SHU) provides a better understanding of the heat of a substance. The scale ranges from 0-16,000,000 (SHU) with pure capsaicin being the highest.
Not the biggest fan of spicy food? Good news, there are even chilies for folks who like more mild flavors. Pasilla and Ancho are not only within the 1,000-4,000 SHU range, but they have a slight smokiness to them (ancho is a little sweeter, though). Green chili and Aji Panca (a staple pepper in Peruvian cuisine) are also mild chilies. Both will even add a slight fruitiness to dishes. If you want something a little hotter, the popular Mexican Chipotle peppers, smoke-dried jalepeños, are a great option ranging from 5,000-10,000 SHU. And Chili de Arbol (in store) is the perfect in-the-middle pepper ranging from 15,000-30,000 SHU.
For the heat lovers out there, the classic Cayenne is always a great choice, ranging from 30,000-50,000 SHU. If you wanted to step up, Habañero ranges 50,000-100,000 SHU, and even hotter than that is African bird pepper which is 75,000-150,000 SHU. The hottest pepper we've got on our shelves is also one of the hottest in the world. That pepper is Bhut Jolokia aka Ghost Pepper (in store), with a Scoville level of 855,000-1,041,427 SHU (a chili not for the faint hearted).
Now that you've started your journey towards becoming a chili connoisseur, you can check out the rest of our selection online or better yet, stop by and chat with one of us. We'll help you choose chilies that suit your individual taste!
Sara is a former team member of Bazaar Spices.
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