How hot are they? The heat of peppers is measured in Scoville units, named for Pharmacologist Wilbur Scoville. Scoville developed a subjective measure now replaced by computerized high performance liquid chromatography. The pepper scale measures, for example, 0 Scoville units for standard bell pepper and about 10,000 for Jalapenos. So what's the hottest pepper? Bhut Jolokia. This pepper, native to northeastern India, measures in at over 1 million Scoville units. But pure capsaicin, the stuff that makes peppers hot, is rated at 15 million Scoville units. This substance is so strong it is now used instead of tear gas for sprays by the FBI and police departments. Caps-what? Capsaicin (cap-say-sin) is a flavorless, colorless, odorless substance found in the membrane that holds the pepper seeds. Contrary to popular belief, the seeds in a pepper plant don't cause the heat. They are hot only because they've been in contact with the membrane. Peppers and chiles, by the way, are the only plants that produce capsaicin. A rule of thumb The smaller the pepper, the hotter it will be. The world's hottest peppers are under three inches long. So much for size. Incognito Peppers, native to South America, are actually chiles, not peppers. Christopher Columbus, however, named them peppers when arriving in the New World, because he thought they were related to black pepper. (Columbus was looking for a shorter route to the Orient, the source of black pepper in the Old World.) Family tree Black pepper belongs to the genus Piper. Hot peppers, along with bell, or sweet peppers, belong to the genus Capsicum, a name that is thought to come from the Greek verb Kapto, meaning "I bite!" Peppers are one of the oldest domesticated plants. Archaeological evidence shows that wild peppers were being eaten in Mexico 9,000 years ago, and capsicum was being cultivated as early as 5,500 B.C. I dare you Pickled pepper eaters are attracted to the sensation which produces endorphins and build up tolerance, seeking ever hotter sensations and greater effect. But don't worry: the Digestive Disease Society indicates there is no data to show that peppers harm the stomach. Good for the body and soul Therapeutic benefits of peppers include claims that they are lung cleaners, expectorants, relievers of bronchitis and emphysema, decongestants, blood clot busters, and even pain killers. Evidence indicates they plain make you feel good, too. (Asia Pacific Journal of Pharmacology, 1996, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 13-18.) Back to Top