The Cooking Inn : Chile & Pepper

Chile Pungency

Chile pungency levels are the results of two factors, the plant's genetics and the environment in which it grows. Although plant breeders can produce a chile with a certain amount of relative heat, genetic control is not yet fully understood. For example, 'NuMex Joe. E. Parker' was selected to produce "medium" pungency pods, however the environment in which this particular variety is grown will have great effects on the heat levels, water amounts and temperature levels are just a couple of influencing factors.

Methods To Determine Pungency

The most common way to test chile pungency is to taste the pod, this method, although quick and cost effective, may
leave the tester in some pain. There are two other ways of testing pungency as well, the Scoville organoleptic test and high performance liquid chromatography.

The Scoville test is a refined, systematic approach. It was the first laboratory approach used to measure pungency in chiles. In this method, human subjects taste a chile sample and record the heat level. The samples are diluted in the laboratory until heat can no longer be detected by the tasters. This dilution is called the Scoville Heat Unit. This procedure can be appropriate in many circumstances, as it is more accurate than the taste test ("bite the chile") technique. This test is also less expensive than more advanced laboratory techniques, but this method has limitations. Measuring pungency with this technique is still subjective and depends on the taster's palate and sensitivity to the chemicals that are responsible for pungency. In addition, there are serious limits on how many samples a taster can handle within a reasonable time.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

The most accurate method for measuring pungency in chiles is a High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this procedure, chile pods are dried, then ground. Next, the chemicals responsible for the pungency are extracted, and the extract is injected into the HPLC device for analysis. This method is more costly than the Scoville test or the Taste test but much more accurate. This method measures the total heat present as well as the individual capsaicinoids present.

SCOVILLE HEAT UNITS SCALE

The following is a list of chiles, put into a scale to show the relative pungency levels and their Scoville Heat Units.*

Name	Pod Type	Species	Scoville Units
Bhut Jolokia	Jalapeno ?	Capsicum	1,001,304
Red Savina	Habanero	C. chinense	577,000
Orange Habanero	Habanero	C. chinense	210,000
Red Habanero	Habanero	C. chinense	150,000
Tabasco	Tabasco	C. frutescens	120,000
Tepin	Tepin	C annuum	75,000
Chiltepin	Tepin	C. annuum	70,000
Thai Hot	Asain	C. annuum	60,000
Jalapeno M	Jalapeno	C. annuum	25,000
Long Slim Cayenne	Cayenne	C. annuum	23,000
Mitla	Jalapeno	C annuum	22,000
Santa Fe Grande	Hungarian	C. annuum	21,000
Aji Escabeche	Aji	C. baccatum	17,000
Long Thick Cayenne	Cayenne	C. annuum	8,500
Cayenne	Cayenne	C. annuum	8,000
Pasilla	Pasilla	C. annuum	5,500
Primavera	Jalapeno	C. annuum	5,000
Sandia	New Mexican	C. annuum	5,000
NuMex Joe E. Parker	New Mexican	C. annuum	4,500
Serrano	Serrano	C. annuum	4,000
Mulato	Ancho	C. annuum	1,000
Bell	Bell	C. annuum	0

We would like to stress that this research was the combined averages of results taken from two different locations. This causes variation in heat levels, general heat levels are consistent for that particular variety or species. For examples, Red Habaneros are generally hotter than Orange and Jalapeno's can range anywhere from 4,000 Scoville heat units to 50,000 Scoville heat units, Mitla is considered a medium jalapeno, while Primavera is considered to be mild.
For more information on this subject please refer to our publication listing. Most of the information on this page was taken from NMSU Guide H-237 "'Measuring Chile Pungency".