Chili pepper · Hungary
Hungarian wax
8,000 Scoville heat units
Pale yellow and easily mistaken for a banana pepper. It is not one.
What this rung gets you Buffalo wings at hot, and finish the basket
How hot Hungarian wax actually is
Hungarian wax is in the same range as a jalapeño, and it does not hold still — published figures run from 5,000 to 15,000 SHU. Sunlight, drought stress and ripeness all push a pod up its range, so the number on a chart is the middle of a wide spread rather than a promise.
On the twelve-rung ladder
It sits on rung 6, Bite, which spans 6.5K to 15K SHU. The top of the jalapeño range and the bottom of the serrano range. Sweating slightly here is expected and is not a sign you have overshot.
Training to this rung is what gets you: Buffalo wings at hot, and finish the basket.
Comparable heat
Anything here burns at roughly the same level, which is what makes them interchangeable when you are training at this rung.
- Tabasco Habanero 7,000
- El Yucateco Red 9,000
- Aleppo 10,000
- Crystal Extra Hot 10,000
Common questions
How hot is Hungarian wax on the Scoville scale?
Hungarian wax measures about 8,000 Scoville heat units, with a published range of 5,000 to 15,000 SHU. That is in the same range as a jalapeño.
Where does Hungarian wax sit on the ladder?
Rung 6 of twelve — Bite, covering 6.5K to 15K SHU. The top of the jalapeño range and the bottom of the serrano range. Sweating slightly here is expected and is not a sign you have overshot.
What stops the burn from Hungarian wax?
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.
Hungarian wax is rung 6 of twelve. Which rung are you on?
Buffalo wings at hot, and finish the basket. That is rung 6. Name the hottest thing you eat without thinking. See how far that is.
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