Chili pepper · Japan
Shishito
100 Scoville heat units
Roughly one pod in ten comes out noticeably hot. Nobody can tell which until they bite it.
What this rung gets you Black pepper and mild salsa without a second thought
How hot Shishito actually is
Shishito is roughly 50 times milder than a jalapeño, and it does not hold still — published figures run from 50 to 200 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 1, Warmth, which spans 0 to 150 SHU. Start where there is no real burn at all, just the sensation of seasoning. If this already feels like a lot, that is a completely normal place to begin.
Training to this rung is what gets you: Black pepper and mild salsa without a second thought.
Comparable heat
Anything here burns at roughly the same level, which is what makes them interchangeable when you are training at this rung.
Common questions
How hot is Shishito on the Scoville scale?
Shishito measures about 100 Scoville heat units, with a published range of 50 to 200 SHU. That is roughly 50 times milder than a jalapeño.
Where does Shishito sit on the ladder?
Rung 1 of twelve — Warmth, covering 0 to 150 SHU. Start where there is no real burn at all, just the sensation of seasoning. If this already feels like a lot, that is a completely normal place to begin.
What stops the burn from Shishito?
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 Shishito is rung 1 of twelve
Black pepper and mild salsa without a second thought — that is what rung 1 gets you. Scoville Ladder gets you to rung 1 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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