The Scoville Scale was created in 1912 by Wilbur Scoville to measure the hotness of chile peppers. The chemical found in chile peppers that gives them their heat is called capsaicin. The Scoville Scale measures the amount of capsaicinusing Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Here are some popular peppers and how they rank on the Scoville Scale.
| Pepper | Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
|---|---|
| Carolina Reaper | 2,200,000 |
| Trinidad Moruga Scorpion | 2,009,000 |
| Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) | 1,041,000 |
| Habanero Pepper | 200,000-350,000 |
| Thai Peppers | 50,000-100,000 |
| Serrano Peppers | 5,000-19,000 |
| Jalapeño | 5,000-9,000 |
| Pasilla Peppers | 1,000-1,500 |
| Bell Peppers | No Heat |
Here’s how Sriracha stacks up to other hot sauces on the Scoville Scale.
| Hot Sauce | Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
|---|---|
| Marie Sharpe's Fiery Hot Sauce | 6,775 |
| Tabasco | 3,750 |
| Cholula | 3,600 |
| Tapatio | 3,000 |
| Huy Fong Sriracha | 2,200 |
| Tabasco Chipotle | 2,000 |
| Crystal | 800 |
| Texas Pete | 750 |
| Frank's Red Hot | 450 |
Due to the data above, many hardcore heat enthusiasts actually don’t consider Sriracha to be very spicy, but instead a chili sauce on the sweeter side. Whatever it is, it’s amazing and I need more of it.
Image source: 2YUM.ME
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By Kyle Lewis
10 Responses
Debbie Rhode
May 14, 2019
I agree with whomever dais it isn’t the hotness, it’s the taste. I like heat but it must have flavor. I like a medium to hot but if it doesn’t have flavor I’m done. I’m still searching for my perfect sauce. That being said, I do like sriracha on my ramen noodles lol.
Martina
May 14, 2019
I don’t think I can handle that much heat, but I still don’t think Sriracha is that hot
Bil Peed
March 30, 2019
SU’s vary widely from batch to batch, bottle to bottle. Why?
mj
April 01, 2019
tabasco? haha thats gotta be wrong they taste like vinigar and are not hot
Yoyo
October 03, 2018
<1g/serving is not a LOT of sugar
Jared Bauer
January 08, 2018
Smh…i love sriracha on almost everything.
It is not very spicy IMO, could use a bit more heat.
To all of you who think habenero sauce is hot, if you aren’t sweating off the first bite it is not hit enough.
I grow Carolina reapers and usually eat a chunk each morning in place of coffee/caffine just to wake up.
Try it, you are welcome…
Lucci
October 05, 2017
Did you ever tried the PAIN 100%?
A drop will do it.
jason
October 04, 2017
The reason so many people love Sriracha is they add A LOT of sugar. Number two on the ingredient list. After seeing this, I have removed Sriracha from my diet.
Scott Jordan
February 01, 2017
I love many hot sauces. My favorite HOT sauce is El Yucateco XXXextra Habanero. But I only use it occasionally as it is very hot. I love Sriracha as it is just right for so many uses. So I use Sriracha more than any other hot sauce.
Robert
November 17, 2016
You don’t really want ,,as strange as it may seem ,,hot sauce to be too hot,, it masks the flavor that is so good in the pepper itself,,Sriracha does it very well,, has a nice bite and great flavor……….
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