The Scoville Scale

In 1912 Wilbur Lincoln Scoville developed a method of measuring the heat of a chilli.   This was officially called the Scoville Organoleptic Test and involved a panel of five volunteers tasting different chillies added as extract in precise amounts into a sugar and water solution.  The point at which the heat of the chilli was no longer detected by the taster determined the rating.  So, if a chilli was no longer detected after dilution 100 times its rating would be 100 Scoville Heat Units or SHU.  If it was diluted 1,000,000 times before it was no longer detected it would be rated 1,000,000 and so on.  However, as you can imagine different people have different tastebuds and the ratings were very subjective.
Nowadays the technique is considerably more refined and scientific but again remains a little imprecise as an individual variety of chilli can have different levels of heat depending on many factors such as weather, soil, genetic composition and many other growing conditions.  For this reason the heat of a chilli is usually presented as a range rather than a single number.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography, HPLC for short, separates capsaicin form the other liquid components in the chilli and calculates this concentration in parts per million.  This unit of measurement is the American Spice Trade Association pungency rating or ASTA.
However, most people still prefer to refer to the Scoville Heat Unit in the UK at least.  To roughly convert the ASTA rating to the SHU we simply multiply by 15.
Pure capsaicin has a generally accepted SHU of around 16,000,000.
So, if capsaicin is our benchmark, how do other well-known chilli peppers rank alongside this?
Well, as you might imagine, the simple sweet pepper has an SHU of 0 and jalapeño an SHU of between 2000-5000.  The Cayenne pepper comes in at 30,000-50,000 and the Scotch Bonnet at 100,000-300,000.
The quest to grow the hottest chilli in the world is a fast moving story.  In 1994 the Californian Red Savina Habanero hit 577,000 SHU and the well-known Naga Jolokia from India topped that with an SHU of 855,000.  However, in 2012 the Trinidad Moruga Scorpio hit an all-time high of 1,200,000!
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/17/worlds-hottest-chili-pepper-identified/
The hottest alkaloid in the natural world is believed to be the sap of some Euphorbias in Morocco which are around 1000 times hotter than pure capsaicin with a Scoville rating of around 16,000,000,000!

Capsaicin - what is it?

Capsaicin itself is the active chemical compound in a chilli pepper which are plants belonging to the genus capsicum.

Capsaicin is an irritant to all mammals including humans causing a stinging and burning sensation on contact with the skin or mucous membrane.  It is a colourless and odourless waxy compound that is water repellant and probably exists simply to protect the chilli plant from harm.

Capsaicin was first discovered in 1816 by Christian Friedrich Bucholz and since then has been studied by many scientists and its many effects and characteristics identified.

Capsaicin is mostly present in the white pithy parts of the chilli which holds the seeds and not the seeds themselves as is communal thought.  It is also present in the internal lining of the chilli and, to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of the fruit.

When people eat chillies they often experience a feeling of pleasure and even euphoria and this is caused by capsaicin.  This seems to be due to the pain-stimulated release of natural endorphins which are similar to opiates which are widely used in strong painkillers such as morphine and codeine.

Capsaicin itself is used as a painkiller in the form of creams and patches that are particularly useful in the treatment of nerve pain such as that experienced in shingles.  It is possible that it may play a part in the regulation of blood sugars and could have benefits in the treatment of obesity and diabetes.  Some have even suggested it may have a role in the prevention of certain cancers.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2121443/Chillis-Good-news-curry-fans--spicy-dish-key-healthy-heart.html

The effects of capsaicin are often used as a deterrent in products such as pepper spray and pest repellants.  It has recently been proposed that its incorporation into certain drugs might reduce the likelihood of the misuse of these drugs.

Seriously, it is a potent and dangerous compound and in very large doses could theoretically cause death.  We recently watched a video of a Naga Chilli curry eating contest where the winner collapsed and had to receive medical treatment before he was able to receive his award!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJL7tXXd9xw

Like everything, "a little of what you fancy does you good" and anything consumed to excess can be harmful.  When consumed to excess capsaicin can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and burning diarrhoea.  If it gets into the eye or on other mucous membranes it can cause extreme pain and irritation.

At Capsaicinoia we are not promoting or encouraging the excessive consumption of extra hot chillies.  We simply want to celebrate and enjoy the chilli, its many varieties and its positive effects.  We want to have fun with chillies and hope you do too!

Capsaicinoia - What's in a name.

The name Capsaicinoia is made up of two parts, Capsaicin and oia.  Crazy for Chilli!


Let's start with oia which is a suffix of the word paranoia.  Paranoia come from the Greek word for  madness ("para" = outside "nous" = mind).  It is also linked with the suffix oid which means like but not the same as.  Paranoia is often used as a lay term for madness or craziness and at Capsaicinoia we are Crazy for Chilli hence the play on words around the oia suffix.


Interestingly the word capsaicinoid does exist to describe chemical compounds which are like capsaicin but not exactly the same as capsaicin.


Capsaicin itself is the active chemical compound in a chilli pepper which are plants belonging to the genus capsicum.  


Capsaicin is pronounced kap-sei-sin but we use a hard "c" as it has a better ring to it thus pronouncing it kap-sei-kin-oya.


Capsaicinoia is all about celebrating and enjoying the chilli, in terms of how it looks and tastes, and the positive and beneficial effects of capsaicin.