Top 10 hottest peppers

No, the article is not about the heroes of films for adults and not even about Semyon Slepakov’s favorite group “Red hot chili peppers”, but about hot red pepper, the hottest pepper in the world.

Traveling around Mexico and getting acquainted with Mexican culture, one cannot help but pay attention to Mexican cuisine. It is based on all kinds of dishes made from corn, fish, meat and beans. But in order for these dishes to become truly “Mexican”, they need one more ingredient - salsas. These are fiery hot sauces, which, in addition to tomatoes and herbs, include several types of pepper. It is about them that we will discuss in our article today.

“Hot, hot, inducing appetite and a surge of energy” - this is how we can characterize the familiar hot pepper. However, not all so simple! It turns out there are a great variety of hot peppers. And among them there are such sharp representatives of this family that they are used only for technical purposes. Less hot peppers are used for cooking and in various tinctures, rubs and ointments. Based on studies of capsaicin, the pungent substance found in peppers, scientists have compiled a scale for the hotness of capsicums. For reference, ECU is a unit of the Scoville scale.

1 Trinidad Scorpion Pepper 855,000 – 1,463,700 ECU

And our traditional top ten starts with pepper, whose name translates as Trinidad scorpion. Even if you are a lover of everything “spicy”, we highly recommend that you not indulge in this pepper. The fact is that the content of capsaicin (a burning substance) is such that this vegetable has to be grown and processed in chemical protection suits. It is grown mainly for the production of tear gas and paint, which protects ships from the growth of shellfish colonies on them.

2 Naga Jolia 970,000 - 1,001,304 ECU

In order to get acquainted with the effect of this pepper, you do not need to go to the Indian Naga tribe. It's enough to just get hit by a pepper smoke bomb. By the way, in order to reduce the heat of one gram of pepper to the possibility of its consumption, you need to dilute it in 1000 liters of water!

3 Habanero pepper 350,000 – 570,000 ECU

Our next nominee is the proudly named Habanero pepper. There are legends about the hotness of this type of capsicum. It is said that in ancient Yucatan they offered their captives a choice: drink half a liter of Habanero liqueur or be sacrificed to the gods. Most chose the latter... As for its modern use, Habanero is popular for making Tobasco sauce, as well as for adding heat to Tequila.

4 Pepper Scotch cap 100,000 - 350,000 ECU

This pepper got its name from its resemblance to the Scottish beret. It is very sharp and can cause dizziness or numbness in the limbs. Pepper is used in sauces and with first courses. And gourmets use it as a snack with chocolate and fruit.

Fragrant, but dangerous. May cause burns if used incorrectly. This pepper is used traditionally: in sauces, spices and pickles. Used with meat and dairy products.

6 Thai pepper 75,000 – 150,000 ECU

The homeland of this pepper is Portugal, from where it migrated and successfully took root in Thailand. It is used for preparing fish and meat dishes, as well as in sauces and salads. In addition, this pepper copes well with such a female problem as cellulite.

7 Cayenne pepper 30,000 - 50,000 ESH

The name of this pepper comes from the port town of Cayenne, located in French Guiana. It was here, from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, that the famous spice route from South America to Europe passed. This type of pepper is used to prepare marinades, canned food, and sausages. In addition, it is successfully used against radiculitis.

8 Serrano pepper 10,000 - 23,000 ECU

“Time bomb” - that’s what they say about this pepper in its homeland - Mexico. It deserves such a comparison due to its peculiarity - delayed pungency. After chewing a couple of pieces of this capsicum, inevitable retribution begins. It feels like a REAL bomb exploded in your mouth!

9 Hungarian wax pepper 5,000 - 10,000 ECU

Despite its apparent harmlessness, it should not be underestimated. This is the pepper of Hungarian women who strive to show all their passion in eating such fiery “delicacies”.

10 Poblano pepper 1,000 – 1,500 ESH

The “softest” of all those listed above. The main pepper of Mexico. The country's most important holiday, Independence Day, is unthinkable without it. This pepper tastes like prunes, and at the holiday it is eaten stewed, along with white nut sauce and pomegranate seeds.