From mild and fruity to laser-hot – it’s well worth knowing your chillies before buying
There are many different varieties of chilli pepper available at Spinneys, all of varying heat levels. But getting to know your chillies is the difference between enjoying a lovely meal and setting your mouth alight. Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to eating them. What might be mild for one person, could be an inferno that’s difficult to douse for another so gauging the heat factor from someone else is pointless. However, there is an official way to check how much heat a chilli pepper packs: the Scoville scale.
Chillies can transform a meal both with their temperature and the flavours, too
This method was devised in 1912 by American pharmacist, Wilbur Scoville. Using Scoville Heat Units (SHU) to rate the spiciness of chillies, the scale goes from 0 to the surface of the sun-like 3,000,000+. Spinneys stock just about everything at either end of the spectrum and in between.
By knowing what kind of heat each chilli elicits, you can quite literally spice up a recipe. Chillies can transform a meal both with their temperature and also their flavour. From mild to melting, here’s a quick-fire guide to chilli peppers.
Bell pepper (0-100 SHU)
You’d never suspect that a bell pepper would feature here, but to some – with a low tolerance – they can taste a tiny bit of spice. For many others, you can safely add these to salads, sandwiches and more without fear of burning your mouth.
Pimento (100-1000 SHU)
A little higher up on the scale, the pimento is a sweet chilli that’s often found stuffed inside olives. There’s a small amount of heat in this range, but these chillies are mostly used for their fruity taste.
Jalapeño (2,500-10,000 SHU)
For a lot of people, the jalapeno is the top of their scale of tolerance. Sure, it is fairly spicy, but many are able to eat this type of chilli without immediately reaching for a cold beverage.
Serrano (10,000-25,000 SHU)
One of the most recognisable peppers around is the Mexican Serrano. It’s the chilli that’s used to bring a kick to pico de gallo and salsa dips. They’re often served raw – especially atop spicy pizzas – and carry just enough heat to bring a tingle to your tongue.
Cayenne (25,000-50,000 SHU)
We’re getting into the hot stuff now. Cayenne is commonly used in powder form or added whole to bring a seriously spicy edge to a dish. Chillies of this level of heat need to be treated carefully, otherwise you can completely overpower a recipe.
Bird’s Eye (50,000-100,000 SHU)
Upping the heat stakes a little higher is a chilli that’s the main component of peri-peri sauce. There are mild versions that can be made using the Bird’s Eye chilli, but if you unleash its full potential you’ll be mopping your brow with every mouthful.
Scotch bonnet (100,000-350,000 SHU)
They look inviting, and their name suggests light and fruity flavours, but the Scotch bonnet is deceptive. Such is the heat in these chillies that there are eating contests around the world where people munch raw ones.
Red Savina (350,000-750,000 SHU)
We’re so far up the scale now that it’s unlikely anyone reading this has tasted this level of heat. If you have, congratulations. The likes of the Red Savina have been bred specifically to offer a chilli with intense heat, which at one point was the hottest chilli in the world.
Ghost pepper (750,000-1,500,000 SHU)
In 2007, the 'bhut jolokia' – AKA 'ghost pepper' – was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the hottest chilli around. 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. The ghost pepper is so hot that gloves must be worn to handle it and it's often used in the infamously hot curry type, phaal.
Carolina Reaper (1,500,000-3,000,000+ SHU)
Any chilli pepper with this ranking is just painful. The Carolina Reaper is less about the flavour and more about endurance and only hardcore spice fans would dare to try this one. In fact, this level of spice is so hot it's used to make law-enforcement grade pepper spray. Ouch.
