Hot sauce · Louisiana, 1920
Frank's RedHot
450 Scoville heat units
The sauce in the original Buffalo wing. Cayenne, vinegar, garlic — nothing clever.
What this rung gets you A whole basket of chips and salsa, no water
How hot Frank's RedHot actually is
Frank's RedHot is roughly 11 times milder 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 3, Glow, which spans 450 to 1.2K SHU. Warmth that lingers a few seconds after you swallow. This is the level most "mild" restaurant options sit at.
Training to this rung is what gets you: A whole basket of chips and salsa, no water.
Comparable heat
Anything here burns at roughly the same level, which is what makes them interchangeable when you are training at this rung.
- Louisiana Hot Sauce 450
- Texas Pete 750
- Anaheim 900
- Valentina 900
- Cholula 1,000
- Padrón 1,000
Common questions
How hot is Frank's RedHot on the Scoville scale?
Frank's RedHot measures about 450 Scoville heat units. That is roughly 11 times milder than a jalapeño.
Where does Frank's RedHot sit on the ladder?
Rung 3 of twelve — Glow, covering 450 to 1.2K SHU. Warmth that lingers a few seconds after you swallow. This is the level most "mild" restaurant options sit at.
What stops the burn from Frank's RedHot?
Dairy. Capsaicin is fat-soluble, so water spreads it rather than removing it; the casein in milk, yogurt 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.
Frank's RedHot is rung 3 of twelve. Which rung are you on?
A whole basket of chips and salsa, no water. That is rung 3. Name the hottest thing you eat without thinking. See how far that is.
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