Chili pepper · Caribbean
Scotch bonnet
200,000 Scoville heat units
The soul of jerk. Fruitier than a habanero and worth the swap when you can find one.
What this rung gets you A vindaloo cooked the way the kitchen eats it
How hot Scotch bonnet actually is
Scotch bonnet is about 40 times hotter than a jalapeño, and it does not hold still — published figures run from 100,000 to 350,000 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 10, Inferno, which spans 200K to 450K SHU. Full habanero. Wear gloves when handling these — capsaicin stays on your fingers for hours and your eyes will find it.
Training to this rung is what gets you: A vindaloo cooked the way the kitchen eats it.
Comparable heat
Anything here burns at roughly the same level, which is what makes them interchangeable when you are training at this rung.
- Habanero 225,000
- Fatalii 250,000
- Datil 300,000
- Mad Dog 357 357,000
Common questions
How hot is Scotch bonnet on the Scoville scale?
Scotch bonnet measures about 200,000 Scoville heat units, with a published range of 100,000 to 350,000 SHU. That is about 40 times hotter than a jalapeño.
Where does Scotch bonnet sit on the ladder?
Rung 10 of twelve — Inferno, covering 200K to 450K SHU. Full habanero. Wear gloves when handling these — capsaicin stays on your fingers for hours and your eyes will find it.
What stops the burn from Scotch bonnet?
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.
Scotch bonnet is rung 10 of twelve. Which rung are you on?
A vindaloo cooked the way the kitchen eats it. That is rung 10. Name the hottest thing you eat without thinking. See how far that is.
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