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Chili Pepper Heat
Appears in
By Fran Osseo-Asare and Barbara Baëta
Published 2015
The heat in capsicums is commonly rated using the SHU (Scoville Heat Units). While helpful, its accuracy is limited, as the same variety of pepper can have widely varied intensity or pungency, depending on soil, climate, or even location on the same bush. Below are listed some common SHU of peppers and sauces, in ascending order of heat:
| Habanero (C. chinense Jacquin) | 100,000 to 350,000 SHU |
| Scotch bonnet (C. chinense) | 100,000 to 325,000 SHU |
| Kpakpo shito (C. chinense) | 70,000 to 100,000 SHU |
| Cayenne (C. annuum) | 30,000 to 50,000 SHU |
| Jalapeno (C. annuum) | 2,500 to 5,000 SHU |
| Tabasco Original Pepper Sauce | 2,500 to 5,000 SHU |
| Paprika (C. annuum) | 0 to 300 SHU |
| Bell peppers (C. annuum) | 0 |