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How the Scoville Scale Works
Now, scientists extract the heat-inducing chemicals and measure their pungency by using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The relative heat is measured in Scoville heat units (SHUs). That stands as the primary means of determining spiciness in food (and the effectiveness, in another use of capsaicin which is one of the major capsaicinoids of pepper spray).
A bell pepper, for example, checks in on the Scoville scale at zero SHUs. Chomping down on a bell pepper would not prompt so much as a raised eyebrow or a reach for a glass of water. But that s the absolute bottom of the scale. From there, things get interesting.
N.J. is hot sauce heaven. Meet the university president and ex-cop who love to bring the heat.
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PuckerButt Purgatory Hot Sauce. Area 51 The Sauce That Doesn’t Exist. Colon Cleaner. Pure Bred Idiot. Ass Blaster (packaged in a miniature outhouse box, of course).
Hot sauce makers try to outdo each other in naughty, noxious names, but make no mistake: There’s science, craftsmanship and hard work behind those hellfire condiments.
Hot sauces are burning up right now. The industry has grown 150% since 2000 more than BBQ sauce, mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise combined. The global hot sauce market, now approaching $4.5 billion, is expected to reach $6 billion by 2025.
It captures the imagination and scorches the palate. Itâs the chile pepper, a rugged little fruit that is found throughout the worldâs cuisine. Pepper expert Dave Dewitt explores the spice in his new book,
Chile Peppers: A Global History (University of New Mexico Press, 368 pages, $29.95). The book, which was released in September, is a culmination of DeWittâs decades researching the fruit.
âWhen I first moved to New Mexico in 1974, I had only had one hot and spicy dish in my life,â says DeWitt, 76. He wanted to sell articles about his new home, though, and discovered that spicy foods could be central to that. âYou canât write about New Mexico food without writing about chile peppers.â