Hot sauce · United States
Dave's Insanity
180,000 Scoville heat units
The sauce that started the extract era in 1993, and got banned from a food show for it.
What this rung gets you The habanero salsa at the taqueria, on everything
How hot Dave's Insanity actually is
Dave's Insanity is about 36 times hotter than a jalapeño. Growing conditions move any published figure several-fold, so read it as the middle of a range rather than a promise.
On the twelve-rung ladder
It sits on rung 9, Blaze, which spans 80K to 200K SHU. Habanero range. Expect the burn to last 10–15 minutes rather than fading in three. Do not train two days running at this level.
Training to this rung is what gets you: The habanero salsa at the taqueria, on everything.
Comparable heat
Anything here burns at roughly the same level, which is what makes them interchangeable when you are training at this rung.
- Malagueta 80,000
- Piri piri 100,000
- Da Bomb Beyond Insanity 135,600
Common questions
How hot is Dave's Insanity on the Scoville scale?
Dave's Insanity measures about 180,000 Scoville heat units. That is about 36 times hotter than a jalapeño.
Where does Dave's Insanity sit on the ladder?
Rung 9 of twelve — Blaze, covering 80K to 200K SHU. Habanero range. Expect the burn to last 10–15 minutes rather than fading in three. Do not train two days running at this level.
What stops the burn from Dave's Insanity?
Dairy. Capsaicin is fat-soluble, so water spreads it rather than removing it; the casein in milk, yoghurt or ice cream lifts it off the receptor. A spoonful of sugar held in the mouth measurably helps too. Starch — rice or bread — physically carries it off the tongue.
Coming soon to the App Store
Eating Dave's Insanity is rung 9 of twelve
The habanero salsa at the taqueria, on everything — that is what rung 9 gets you. Scoville Ladder gets you to rung 9 on a schedule rather than a dare: a heat to train at tonight, rest between, and a target that moves with the burn you actually report.
Find your rung See the twelve rungs
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