Somewhere along the way, a tidy little rule took hold: bell peppers come in male and female, and you can tell which is which by flipping one over and counting the bumps on the bottom. It spreads every year across social feeds and produce aisles, …
You won’t find two peppers on the Scoville scale more alike than the scotch bonnet and the habanero. They carry the same searing heat, they belong to the same flavor family, and side by side in a cooked dish most people can’t tell them apart. …
Two of the most familiar names in the chili world are the chipotle and the jalapeño, and the products built around them work hard to make them feel like opposites: one smoky and earthy, the other bright and crisp. Here’s the twist most people miss. …
The title of “world’s hottest pepper” changes hands more often than you’d think, as growers worldwide cross and coax their plants chasing pods hot enough to seize the crown. The list below ranks the current champions by their typical (median) Scoville heat — the peppers …
A recipe tells you to add “a teaspoon of cayenne” and you freeze. Is that a pleasant warmth or a five-alarm mistake you can’t take back? It’s one of the most common stumbling blocks in a home kitchen. Cayenne is potent, it’s irreversible once it’s …
Gochujang is one of the cornerstone ingredients of Korean cooking, prized for its deep savory flavor and gentle, lingering heat. Sambal oelek, a traditional chili paste from Indonesia and Malaysia, has become widely popular outside Southeast Asia as a fresher, brighter, and spicier alternative to …
Bhut Jolokia, better known as the ghost pepper, sits in a rare category of chilies where heat management becomes just as important as cooking technique. Once difficult to find outside of specialty markets, ghost peppers are now increasingly available at grocery stores like Whole Foods …
Paprika is one of the most recognizable spices in the pantry, valued as much for its vivid red color as for its gentle, pepper-forward flavor. It appears everywhere, from classic deviled eggs and potato salads to stews, soups, rubs, and sauces. Yet despite its ubiquity, …
Have a bumper crop of jalapeños? Or do you just happen to have more than the norm in your kitchen? There are plenty of smart and flavorful ways to use these delicious medium heat chilies. What to do with a lot of jalapeños often comes …
In the realm of fiery peppers, the scotch bonnet and ghost pepper stand out not just for their heat, but for their unique flavors and histories. These are two very hot peppers, but how do they really differ in heat? Flavor? Availability? Let’s compare. Scotch …
Free printable
Get the free PepperScale Scoville Heat Chart
25 chilies ranked from sweet to scorching — free and printable. Join the newsletter and we’ll send it to your inbox.
Subscribers get 15% off any PepperScale ebook — code in welcome email.
No spam — just Wicked Wednesday recipes and occasional extra dashes of chili pepper inspiration. Unsubscribe anytime.