What is measured on the Scoville scale?

Answer 1

The Scoville scale is a measure of the "hotness" of a chili pepper. These fruits of the Capsicum genus contain capsaicin, a chemical compound which stimulates thermoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucus membranes, and the number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Many hot sauces use their Scoville rating in advertising as a selling point. The scale is named after its creator, chemist Wilbur Scoville.

Scoville's original method for testing hotness was called the Scoville Organoleptic Test, which he developed in 1912. As originally devised, a solution of the pepper extract is diluted in sugar water until the "heat" is no longer detectable to a panel of (usually five) tasters; the degree of dilution gives its measure on the Scoville scale. Thus a sweet pepper or a bell pepper, containing no capsaicin at all, has a Scoville rating of zero, meaning no heat detectable even undiluted. Conversely, the hottest chiles, such as habaneros, have a rating of 300,000 or more, indicating that their extract has to be diluted 300,000-fold before the capsaicin present is undetectable. The greatest weakness of the Scoville Organoleptic Test is its imprecision, because it relies on human subjectivity.

Scoville also ran into trouble with the number of tests his panelists could perform per day because human tongues temporairly get used to certain levels of pungency and have to be given a rest . In an eight hour period, no more than six samples could ever been run through the panel

Answer 2

As the Scoville scale measures the hotness of chilli pepper, TMLeaf Fan's answer is more 'hot' than chilli itself. Can it then be measured with a Scoville scale? Way to go!♥

Answer 3

The Scoville scale is a method for measuring the heat level of chile peppers, and it was developed by an American chemist, Wilbur Scoville in 1912. The substance that makes peppers hot is called capsaicin, and is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Pure capsaicin is 15,000,000 SHU, while the capsaicin level of sweet bells is 0 SHU.

Answer 4

Hmmm, its been awhile since school. I seem to remember Scoville measures heat, like the intensity of pepper sprays.

Answer 5

"The Scoville scale is the food industry unit of measurement for the pungency, or 'hotness', of hot peppers."

Answer 6

The heat of chillies.