Orange habanero scoville

On the Scoville Scale, PepperScale states that a habanero pepper has between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville heat units, or SHU. But what does this mean exactly in relationship to other peppers?

Well, the habanero pepper is only the 10th hottest in a ranking of 24 peppers by MasterClass. The hottest listed is pure capsaicin, at 16,000,000 SHU, and at the bottom of the rankings is the bell pepper, with 0 SHU.

So while a habanero is hot, it is not the hottest pepper available by far.

Ghost pepper scoville

PepperScale says of habanero peppers, "there's quite a bit of flavor to go along with the extra-hot kick. It has a unique, citrus-like taste with a subtle hint of smoke that makes it very popular in hot sauces, powders, and rubs."

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Ready to incorporate this pepper into your cooking?

The Spruce Eats writes, "When selecting habanero, don't touch the pepper with your bare hands. Instead, use the produce bag to pick up the pepper and examine it. The pepper should look fresh and feel firm. The skin should be smooth and shiny, with a sunny, deep orange

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