The Scoville Heat Unit in detail
So how hot is a Super Hot Chilli then and how is the heat measured I hear you ask?
Enter the wonderful world of the Scoville Heat Unit also known as SHU. When you see a Dorset Naga being measured at over 1,000,000 SHU you now know its Scoville Heat Unit rating but how is that actually measured and how accurate is it?
A little history
In 1912 a pharmacist called Wilbur Scoville created a system whereby the amount of capsaicin level was measured and although there can be significant variation between chilli pods the scale serves to be indicative of the heat in a particular variety. He was looking to create a heat-producing ointment. What Scoville’s idea was, was to dilute an alcohol based extract made with the subject of the heat test until it no longer tasted hot. Continue reading The Scoville Heat Unit explained
