Are Chili Peppers Hot?
There are many different kinds of chili peppers from all around the world. They add spiciness, kick, and interesting flavor to regional dishes. Not all chilies are hot though! Some chilies have a very mild spice level. A pepper’s spiciness is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). Chilies in the 100,001 to 350,000 SHU range are considered hot. Any pepper above 350,000 SHUs is extremely hot, even dangerously hot if you’re not used to eating them.
Which Chili Peppers Are Hot?
Here are some of the hottest chili peppers you can cook with. Most have a rating above 100,000 on the Scoville Heat Scale:
- African Bird’s Eye
- Aji Cito Chili Peppers
- Bahamian Chili Peppers
- Caribbean Red Peppers
- Carolina Cayenne Chili Peppers
- Datil Pepper
- Devil’s Tongue Pepper
- Fatalii Chili Peppers
- Habanera Pepper
- Jamaican Hot Chili Peppers
- Madam Jeanette Chili Peppers
- Scotch Bonnet Chili Peppers
- Shipkas Chili Peppers
- Tabiche Chili Peppers
- Tiger Paw NR Chili Pepper
- Trinidad Scorpion Pepper
Which Chili is the Hottest?
The hottest chili pepper has changed over the years and may change again, but currently, the Carolina Reaper holds the title with over 2 million SHUs of fire.
