![]() ![]() Today, chili pepper heat is determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) instead of by the subjective sensation of heat by a panel of human tasters. Likewise, if a pepper was assigned a 220,000 SHU (like a habanero), it took 220,000 teaspoons of sugar water to neutralize the heat. So, if it took 1,000 teaspoons of sugar water to render one teaspoon of ground poblano pepper to a “no-heat” level for tasters, then the poblano pepper was assigned a 1,000 Scoville Heat Unit (or SHU). What is the Scoville scale?ĭeveloped by pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912 (yes, humanity has been obsessed with chili peppers for a long time), the initial Scoville scale referred to how many parts of sugar water would dilute a ground chili pepper until it no longer felt hot to a panel of human tasters. Let’s dig into the history of the Scoville scale and look at a few hot pepper rankings. The Scoville scale is our scientific measuring stick for the pungency of a particular chili pepper, categorizing it into mild, medium, hot, extra hot, or extremely hot. ![]() ![]() Any unit of measurement that can 1) be abbreviated or 2) has an official-sounding name lends a certain scientific credibility-and so it is with our dear frenemies, the chili peppers. Folks toss the terms “Scoville Heat Units,” “SHU,” and “Scoville scale” around when they’re discussing the finer points of how much a particular chili pepper, hot sauce, or salsa is going to hurt.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |