How Hot Is It?
Has the heat been hot enough for you this summer? Daily highs have regularly pushed past 30 degrees Celsius. In fact, Japan just saw a new record high on August 5 in Isesaki, Gunma at 41.8°. While that is hot, did you know that there is heat that is measured into the millions? Most people can withstand this heat from 100,000 to 500,000, but there are some who can endure heat that much higher. What heat is this? It is the pungency, heat or spiciness, of chili peppers and the sauces that are made from them.
In 1912, Wilbur Scoville, a pharmacist in America, developed a way of measuring the amount of capsaicin, the chemical that causes the burning sensation, in chili peppers. His method involved diluting chili pepper extract with sugar water until a panel of tasters could no longer detect the heat. The number of units of sugar water used was then the spiciness level of that pepper. This rating is referred to as the Scoville scale or formally as Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Today, scientists use High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to measure the amount of capsaicin and then convert it to Scoville Heat Units.
Bell peppers have 0 SHU. Japanese Shishito peppers top out at 1,000 SHU. Jalapeños, a Mexican food staple, range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. Habaneros, one of the most popular hot peppers in the world with their fruity, citrusy flavor, have between 100,000 and 350,000 SHU. The current world record holder is Pepper X which has an average SHU rating of 2.69 million. Beyond peppers, the Scoville scale is also used to measure the spiciness of other foods, like hot sauces. The ubiquitous Tabasco has a rating of 2,500-5,000 SHU.
Hot sauces are ever-present in my refrigerator with there usually being at least five different types available with heat ratings ranging from 10,000 SHU up to 500,000 SHU. Aside from relishing the heat they offer, the flavor enhancing quality they bring when paired with a dish is equally enjoyable. While Japan is not known for spicy food and most stores have limited hot sauce options, I was delighted to come across a domestic hot sauce maker called Mellow Habanero. This small-scale operation produces some tantalizing hot sauces that are a mainstay in my fridge. In 2017, Mellow Habanero’s Hop in Heaven was crowned champion in the medium heat category at the World Hot Sauce Awards.
With the heat and flavor that the numerous varieties of chili peppers bring and the thousands of hot sauces crafted from them, there is no end to the enhancement of whatever food you find before you. So, how much heat can you handle? Erik