The Hot Pepper List: Know Your Spice

Just like grapes grown for wine, hot peppers are incredibly complex. We’re here to guide you through this wide world of spiciness and flavor, and it all starts with the Scoville scale by which chili pepper heat is measured. Our hot pepper list covers 150+ chilies and counting, bringing that famous pepper scale to life. It’s so much more than a simple list of chili peppers: Discover their heat, unique flavors, origins, species, and even how their spiciness compares to a chili most have tried, the jalapeño. It’s a relatable reference point that helps put the big numbers on the Scoville scale into perspective.

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Table of Contents

• The hot pepper list
• Glossary
  • Heat
  • SHU
  • Min/Max SHU
  • Median SHU
  • JalRP
  • Origin
  • Use
  • Flavor
  • Other notes

The hot pepper list

To read more about a chili pepper: Click on the row to open our Fast Facts or click on the pepper's name to view PepperScale's full profile on the chili. Scroll to the bottom of our hot pepper list to view a glossary of key terms.

Hot Pepper	Image	Heat	Min SHU	Max SHU	Median SHU	JalRP	JalRP Times Hotter/Milder	Type	Origin	Use	Flavor
Apollo Pepper		Super Hot	3,000,000	3,000,000	3,000,000	571	389 to 1,272	Chinense	United States	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy
Bell Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Bright, Sweet
Gypsy Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Floral
Purple Beauty Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	South America	Culinary	Sweet
Melrose Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Carmen Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	Italy	Culinary	Sweet
California Wonder Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	USA	Culinary	Bitter, Sweet
Peperone di Senise		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	annuum	Italy	Culinary	Sweet, Nutty, Smoky
Fushimi Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	Annuum	Japan	Culinary	Sweet
Tangerine Dream Pepper		Mild	0	100	50	0.01	-8,000 to -250	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Sweet
Chilly Chili		Mild	1	100	51	0.01	-8,000 to -2	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Neutral
Shishito Pepper		Mild	50	200	125	0.02	-160 to -13	annuum	Japan	Culinary	Sweet, Grassy, Citrusy, Smoky
Trinidad Perfume		Mild	0	500	250	0.05	-8,000 to -5	chinense	Caribbean	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy, Tropical
Banana Pepper		Mild	0	500	250	0.05	-8,000 to -5	annuum	South America	Culinary	Sweet, Tangy
Pepperoncini		Mild	100	500	300	0.06	-80 to -5	annuum	Italy	Culinary	Sweet, Tangy
Pimento Pepper		Mild	100	500	300	0.06	-80 to -5	annuum	Unknown	Culinary	Sweet
Mariachi Pepper		Mild	500	600	550	0.10	-13 to -5	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Santa Fe Grande Pepper		Mild	500	700	600	0.11	-16 to -3	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Smoky
Holy Mole Pepper		Mild	700	800	750	0.14	-10 to -3	annuum	USA	Culinary	Nutty, Tangy
Aji Dulce		Mild	0	1,000	500	0.10	-8,000 to -3	chinense	Caribbean	Culinary	Sweet, Smoky, Peppery
Medusa Pepper		Mild	1	1,000	501	0.10	-8000 to -3	annuum	Mexico	Ornamental	Sweet
Mexibell Pepper		Mild	100	1,000	550	0.10	-80 to -3	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Italian Long Hot Pepper		Mild	100	1,000	550	0.10	-80 to -3	annuum	Italy	Culinary	Sweet
Cubanelle Pepper		Mild	100	1,000	550	0.10	-80 to -3	annuum	Italy	Culinary	Sweet
Piquillo Pepper		Mild	500	1,000	750	0.14	-16 to -3	annuum	Spain	Culinary	Sweet, Smoky, Tart
Beaver Dam Pepper		Mild	500	1,000	750	0.14	-16 to -3	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Peppadew Pepper		Mild	1,100	1,200	1,150	0.22	-7 to -2	baccatum	Africa	Culinary	Sweet
Aji Panca		Mild	1,000	1,500	1,250	0.24	-8 to -2	baccatum	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Smoky
Ancho Pepper		Mild	1,000	1,500	1,250	0.24	-8 to -2	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Sweet, Smoky, Earthy
Poblano Pepper		Mild	1,000	1,500	1,250	0.24	-8 to -2	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Earthy
Kashmiri Chili		Mild	1,000	2,000	1,500	0.29	-8 to 0	annuum	India	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Guindilla Pepper		Mild	1,000	2,000	1,500	0.29	-8 to 0	annuum	Spain	Culinary	Sweet
Padron Pepper		Mild	500	2,500	1,500	0.29	-16 to 0	annuum	Spain	Culinary	Earthy, Nutty, Sweet
Anaheim Pepper		Mild	500	2,500	1,500	0.29	-16 to 0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Fruity, Sweet
Chilaca Pepper		Mild	1,000	2,500	1,750	0.33	-8 to 0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Sweet, Floral
Pasilla Pepper		Mild	1,000	2,500	1,750	0.33	-8 to 0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy
Rocotillo Pepper		Mild	1,500	2,500	2,000	0.38	-5 to 0	baccatum	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Tropical
Cascabel Pepper		Mild	1,000	3,000	2,000	0.38	-8 to 0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Earthy, Nutty
Mulato Pepper		Medium	2,500	3,000	2,750	0.52	-3 to 0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Smoky, Sweet, Earthy
NuMex Big Jim		Medium	2,500	3,000	2,750	0.52	-3 to 0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Bright, Sweet
Cajun Belle Pepper		Medium	500	4,000	2,250	0.43	-16 to 0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Espelette Pepper		Medium	500	4,000	2,250	0.43	-16 to 0	annuum	France	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Smoky
NuMex Centennial		Medium	1,000	5,000	3,000	0.57	-5 to 0	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Bitter, Bright
Sangria Pepper		Medium	1,000	5,000	3,000	0.57	-5 to 0	annuum	Unknown	Ornamental	Neutral
Cherry Bomb Pepper		Medium	2,500	5,000	3,750	0.71	0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Cowhorn Pepper		Medium	2,500	5,000	3,750	0.71	0	annuum	South America	Culinary	Sweet
Guajillo Pepper		Medium	2,500	5,000	3,750	0.71	0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Tangy, Crisp, Smoky
Jalafuego Pepper		Medium	4,000	6,000	5,000	0.95	0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Bright, Grassy
Chimayo Pepper		Medium	4,000	6,000	5,000	0.95	0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Smoky, Earthy
Sandia Pepper		Medium	5,000	7,000	6,000	1.14	0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet
Hatch Pepper		Medium	1,000	8,000	4,500	0.86	-3 to 0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Buttery, Earthy
Jalapeño Pepper		Medium	2,500	8,000	5,250	1.00	0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Bright, Grassy
Purple Jalapeño Pepper		Medium	2,500	8,000	5,250	1.00	0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Bright, Sweet
Chipotle Pepper		Medium	2,500	8,000	5,250	1.00	0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Smoky, Earthy
Puya Pepper		Medium	5,000	8,000	6,500	1.24	0	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Bitter
Pretty in Purple Pepper		Medium	4,000	8,000	6,000	1.14	0	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Neutral
Fresno Pepper		Medium	2,500	10,000	6,250	1.19	0	annuum	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Smoky
Hungarian Wax Pepper		Medium	5,000	10,000	7,500	1.43	0 to 4	annuum	Hungary	Culinary	Sweet, Tangy
Black Hungarian Pepper		Medium	5,000	10,000	7,500	1.43	0 to 4	annuum	Hungary	Culinary	Sweet
Aleppo Pepper		Medium	10,000	10,000	10,000	1.90	0 to 4	annuum	Syria	Culinary	Bright, Tart, Earthy, Salty
Peter Pepper		Medium	10,000	23,000	16,500	3.14	0 to 9	annuum	USA	Culinary	Bright, Sweet
Serrano Pepper		Medium	10,000	23,000	16,500	3.14	0 to 9	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Bright, Grassy
Sport Pepper		Medium	10,000	23,000	16,500	3.14	0 to 9	annuum	USA	Culinary	Neutral, Tangy
Bishop's Crown Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	baccatum	South America	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Hinkelhatz Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	annuum	USA	Culinary	Neutral
Royal Black Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	annuum	Unknown	Ornamental	Neutral
Black Prince Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	annuum	Mexico	Ornamental	Neutral
Count Dracula Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	annuum	Unknown	Ornamental	Neutral
Bulgarian Carrot Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	annuum	Bulgaria	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Crisp
Fish Pepper		Medium	5,000	30,000	17,500	3.33	0 to 12	annuum	USA	Culinary	Bright
Bolivian Rainbow Pepper		Medium	10,000	30,000	20,000	3.81	4 to 12	annuum	Bolivia	Ornamental	Neutral
Black Pearl Pepper		Medium	10,000	30,000	20,000	3.81	4 to 12	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Citrusy
Manzano Pepper		Medium	12,000	30,000	21,000	4.00	2 to 12	pubescens	South America	Culinary	Sweet, Citrusy
Japones Pepper		Medium	15,000	30,000	22,500	4.29	2 to 12	annuum	Japan	Culinary	Neutral
Lemon Drop Pepper		Medium	15,000	30,000	22,500	4.29	2 to 12	baccatum	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy
Chile De Arbol		Medium	15,000	30,000	22,500	4.29	2 to 12	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Nutty, Smoky
Jwala Pepper		Medium	20,000	30,000	25,000	4.76	3 to 12	annuum	India	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Inca Red Drop Pepper		Medium	10,000	30,000	20,000	3.81	2 to 12	baccatum	Peru	Ornamental	Fruity, Sweet
Aji Colorado		Medium	20,000	30,000	25,000	4.76	3 to 12	baccatum	Peru	Culinary	Fruity, Sweet
Aji Pineapple		Medium	20,000	30,000	25,000	4.76	3 to 12	baccatum	Peru	Culinary	Fruity, Sweet, Tropical
Little Elf Pepper		Medium	20,000	30,000	25,000	4.76	3 to 12	annuum	Hungary	Ornamental	Earthy
Bod'e Pepper		Medium	30,000	32,000	31,000	5.90	4 to 13	chinense	Brazil	Culinary	Fruity, Sweet, Smoky
Black Cobra Pepper		Medium	20,000	40,000	30,000	5.71	3 to 16	annuum	South America	Ornamental	Neutral, Bitter
NuMex Twilight		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Salty, Bitter, Bright
Rooster Spur Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Peppery
Explosive Ember Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	annuum	Unknown	Ornamental	Sweet
Filius Blue Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	annuum	Mexico	Ornamental	Neutral
Aurora Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	annuum	Mexico	Ornamental	Neutral
Aji Amarillo		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	baccatum	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tropical, Bright
Aji Charapita		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	chinense	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Aji Omnicolor		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	baccatum	Peru	Ornamental	Fruity, Sweet
Tabasco Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	frutescens	Costa Rica	Culinary	Smoky
Cayenne Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	annuum	French Guyana	Culinary	Neutral
Super Chili Pepper		Medium	40,000	50,000	45,000	8.57	5 to 20	annuum	USA	Ornamental	Neutral
Satan's Kiss Pepper		Medium	40,000	50,000	45,000	8.57	5 to 25	annuum	Italy	Culinary	Neutral
Buena Mulata Pepper		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.62	4 to 20	Annuum	United States	Ornamental	Sweet
Black Cuban Pepper		Medium	40,000	58,000	49,000	9.33	5 to 23	annuum	Cuba	Ornamental	Neutral
Pequin Pepper		Medium	40,000	60,000	50,000	9.52	5 to 24	annuum	Mexico	Culinary	Smoky, Fruity
Dundicut Pepper		Extra Hot	55,000	65,000	60,000	11.43	7 to 26	annuum	Pakistan	Culinary	Fruity, Earthy
Calico Pepper		Extra Hot	50,000	70,000	60,000	11.43	6 to 28	annuum	Mexico	Ornamental	Neutral
Tien Tsin Pepper		Extra Hot	50,000	75,000	62,500	11.90	6 to 30	annuum	China	Culinary	Neutral
Cheiro Roxa		Extra Hot	60,000	80,000	70,000	13.33	8 to 32	chinense	Brazil	Culinary	Fruity, Sweet, Bitter
Prairie Fire Pepper		Extra Hot	70,000	80,000	75,000	14.29	9 to 32	annuum	Mexico	Ornamental	Fruity, Tangy
Rocoto Pepper		Extra Hot	30,000	100,000	65,000	12.38	4 to 40	pubescens	South America	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Grassy
Malagueta Pepper		Extra Hot	50,000	100,000	75,000	14.29	6 to 40	frutescens	Brazil	Culinary	Sweet, Tangy
Byadgi Chili		Extra Hot	50,000	100,000	75,000	14.29	6 to 40	annuum	India	Culinary	Sweet
Chiltepin Pepper		Extra Hot	50,000	100,000	75,000	14.29	6 to 40	annuum	USA	Culinary	Smoky, Earthy
Thai Pepper		Extra Hot	50,000	100,000	75,000	14.29	6 to 40	annuum	Thailand	Culinary	Fruity
Charleston Hot Pepper		Extra Hot	70,000	100,000	85,000	16.19	9 to 40	annuum	USA	Culinary	Neutral
Siling Labuyo		Extra Hot	80,000	100,000	90,000	17.14	10 to 40	frutescens	Phillipines	Culinary	Neutral
Apache Pepper		Extra Hot	80,000	100,000	90,000	17.14	10 to 40	annuum	Unknown	Culinary	Sweet
Peri-Peri Pepper		Extra Hot	50,000	100,000	75,000	14.29	6 to 40	Frutescens	Africa	Culinary	Smoky, Sweet
Datil Pepper		Extra Hot	100,000	300,000	200,000	38.10	12 to 120	chinense	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tropical
Cumari do Para		Extra Hot	50,000	300,000	175,000	33.33	6 to 120	chinense	Brazil	Culinary	Fruity, Sweet, Tropical
Madame Jeanette Pepper		Extra Hot	125,000	325,000	225,000	42.86	15 to 130	chinense	South America	Culinary	Sweet, Tropical
Aji Chombo		Extra Hot	125,000	325,000	225,000	42.86	15 to 130	chinense	Panama	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tropical
Devil's Tongue Pepper		Extra Hot	125,000	325,000	225,000	42.86	15 to 130	chinense	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy
Wiri Wiri Pepper		Extra Hot	100,000	350,000	225,000	42.86	12 to 140	chinense	South America	Culinary	Fruity, Tangy
Scotch Bonnet Pepper		Extra Hot	100,000	350,000	225,000	42.86	12 to 140	chinense	Caribbean	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tropical, Earthy
Habanero Pepper		Extra Hot	100,000	350,000	225,000	42.86	12 to 140	chinense	South America	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tropical, Smoky
Peruvian White Habanero		Extra Hot	100,000	350,000	225,000	42.86	12 to 140	chinense	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Goat Pepper		Extra Hot	100,000	350,000	225,000	42.86	12 to 140	chinense	Caribbean	Culinary	Sweet, Tropical
Peach Habanero		Extra Hot	150,000	350,000	250,000	47.62	18 to 140	Chinense	Caribbean	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Fatalii Pepper		Extra Hot	125,000	400,000	262,500	50.00	14 to 160	chinense	Africa	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy
Hot Paper Lantern		Extra Hot	150,000	400,000	275,000	52.38	19 to 160	chinense	Peru	Culinary	Sweet, Smoky
Caribbean Red Habanero		Super Hot	300,000	445,000	372,500	70.95	35 to 178	chinense	Mexico	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tropical, Smoky
Roatan Pumpkin Habanero		Super Hot	100,000	500,000	300,000	57.14	12 to 200	chinense	Caribbean	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy
Red Savina Habanero		Super Hot	350,000	577,000	463,500	88.29	44 to 231	chinense	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Chocolate Habanero		Super Hot	425,000	577,000	501,000	95.43	53 to 231	chinense	Jamaica	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy, Smoky
7 Pot Bubblegum		Super Hot	800,000	1,000,000	900,000	171.43	106 to 400	chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
7 Pot Jonah		Super Hot	800,000	1,000,000	900,000	171.43	100 to 480	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Bhut Jolokia Chocolate		Super Hot	800,000	1,001,304	900,652	171.55	100 to 400	chinense	India	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy, Smoky
Ghost Pepper		Super Hot	855,000	1,041,427	948,214	180.61	107 to 417	chinense	India	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy
Trinidad 7 Pot Pepper		Super Hot	1,000,000	1,200,000	1,100,000	209.52	125 to 480	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Nutty
Infinity Pepper		Super Hot	1,067,286	1,250,000	1,158,643	220.69	133 to 500	chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
7 Pot Primo		Super Hot	800,000	1,268,250	1,034,125	196.98	100 to 507	chinense	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy, Floral
7 Pot Barrackpore		Super Hot	1,000,000	1,300,000	1,150,000	219.05	125 to 520	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Bright, Bitter
7 Pot Brain Strain		Super Hot	1,000,000	1,350,000	1,175,000	223.81	125 to 540	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Naga Viper		Super Hot	900,000	1,382,118	1,141,059	217.34	113 to 553	chinense	India	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Tangy
Trinidad Scorpion "Butch-T"		Super Hot	800,000	1,463,700	1,131,850	215.59	100 to 585	chinense	Australia	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Naga Morich		Super Hot	1,000,000	1,500,000	1,250,000	238.10	125 to 600	chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Dorset Naga		Super Hot	1,000,000	1,598,227	1,299,114	247.45	125 to 639	chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Floral
7 Pot Douglah		Super Hot	923,889	1,853,986	1,388,938	264.56	109 to 742	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy, Nutty
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion		Super Hot	1,200,000	2,000,000	1,600,000	304.76	150 to 800	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Trinidad Scorpion Chocolate		Super Hot	1,200,000	2,000,000	1,600,000	304.76	150 to 800	chinense	Trinidad	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Earthy, Smoky
Carolina Reaper		Super Hot	1,400,000	2,200,000	1,800,000	342.86	175 to 880	chinense	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Komodo Dragon Pepper		Super Hot	1,400,000	2,200,000	1,800,000	342.86	175 to 880	chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Dragon’s Breath Pepper		Super Hot	2,480,000	2,480,000	2,480,000	472.38	310 to 992	chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Pepper X		Super Hot	3,180,000	3,180,000	3,180,000	605.71	? - 1272	chinense	USA	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Pepper Spray		Super Hot	2,000,000	5,300,000	3,650,000	695.24	250 to 2,120	N/A	N/A	Culinary
Capsaicin		Super Hot	15,000,000	16,000,000	15,500,000	2,952.38	1,875 to 6,400	N/A	N/A	Culinary
Elephant Ears Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	Annuum	Balkan Peninsula	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity
Calabrian Pepper		Medium	25000	40000	32500	6.19	3 to 16	Annuum	Italy	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Smoky, Salty
Mad Hatter Pepper		Mild	500	1,000	750	.14	-16 to -3	Baccatum	United States	Culinary, Ornamental	Sweet, Fruity, Citrusy, Floral
Habanada Pepper		Mild	0	0	0	0.00	-8,000 to -2,500	Annuum	United States	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Floral
Death Spiral Pepper		Super Hot	1,300,000	1,500,000	1,400,000	266.6	163 to 600	Chinense	United Kingdom	Culinary	Sweet, Citrusy, Floral
Urfa Biber (Isot Pepper)		Medium	30,000	50,000	40,000	7.61	4 to 20 times hotter	Annuum	Turkey	Culinary	Earthy, Smoky, Sweet, Tangy, Salty
Apocalypse Scorpion Pepper		Super Hot	1,200,000	2,000,000	1,600,000	304.76	150 to 800	Chinense	Italy	Culinary	Sweet, Fruity, Floral

Glossary

Heat

Mild, Medium, Hot, or Scorching-Hot. You get the picture. We break them down by color (green, yellow, orange, red). This is the simplest way to explore our hot pepper list and get an idea of where things sit. Note – “Medium” is plenty hot here. It contains the likes of jalapeños and cayenne peppers which many with milder tastes find very spicy.

SHU

Scoville heat units. The units by which the Scoville scale is measured (read more about them here). It is the key numerical value of our (or any) hot pepper list.

Min/Max SHU

Even individual hot peppers have a range of heat, depending on where they are grown, how long they’ve matured, and even the amount of sun they’ve received. The minimum SHU is the mildest a pepper could be, the maximum SHU is the hottest possible for the variety.

Median SHU

The number exactly in the middle between the minimum and maximum Scoville heat units of the pepper. This gives us one number by which to compare our jalapeño reference point.

JalRP

Jalapeño reference point. Our hot pepper list gives you a perspective of how hot these peppers really are by comparing them against a reference point most everyone has tried. We offer this data in two ways:

• Decimal: Based on the median heat of the peppers. The jalapeno is “1” and the other peppers are either less than one (less spicy) or above one (hotter). As you’ll see some peppers are much, much hotter than a jalapeño. You can read the hotter pepper numbers as “X times hotter than a jalapeño”. For instance, the median heat of a habanero (at 42.86) is nearly 43 times hotter than the median heat of a jalapeño.
• Range: Based on the minimum and maximum SHUs of the pepper. We offer this option in the Fast Facts pop-up. It shows how the range of potential times hotter/milder given each chili has a range of heat.

Origin

Where the chili pepper has its roots. Try typing an origin into the search filter to see all chilies from that region. All chili peppers are native to South and Central America, but here we consider “origin” as the place where the pepper is now regionally connected or primarily cultivated.

Use

We reference the typical use case: culinary or ornamental. Note, all ornamental peppers are also edible, so consider that when exploring the list. Many, though, are not as flavorful (and often surprisingly spicy) as they are grown for looks, instead of flavor or mildness.

Flavor

Our hot pepper list breaks down the overall basic flavor of each chili pepper, using a common glossary of terms: sweet, fruity, citrusy, tropical, smoky, earthy, crisp, floral, nutty, bright, grassy, salty, peppery (as in black peppery), and tangy. This is a simplified description to give you a starting point to considering flavor. We highly recommend clicking through to our pepper profile for more detail on the overall heat and flavor profile of each pepper. As the heat rises on the Scoville scale it becomes harder to detect the nuances of flavor, but they are still there.

Other notes

We do use the term “neutral” in flavor. By neutral here we mean simply a standard fresh pepper taste without any distinct flavor nuance.