Hot and spicy dishes are popular around the world, with chilli varieties grown everywhere from Mexico and India to the Caribbean. But you don’t have to travel that far to enjoy the delicious flavours of fresh chillis, with the best restaurants near South Kensington using them on a regular basis. Many dishes benefit from the unique flavours, aromas and heat profiles of chilli varieties. Here, we explore the top ten chillis around the world and their spice levels.
How Spice is Measured
Before we take a tour of the ten most iconic chillis, it’s important to understand how spice is measured. Chilli heat is measured using Scoville Heat Units (SHU) – a scale that quantifies how much capsaicin (the heat-producing chemical) is present in a chilli pepper. The higher the SHU, the hotter the chilli, with a bell pepper having a rating of 0 SHU and the infamous Carolina Reaper topping 1,500,000 to 2,200,000 SHU. Chilli heat is measured using unique testing methods, with the more modern, reliable method consisting of labs extracting capsaicinoids and measuring their exact concentration. Results are then converted into SHU.
It’s quite an in-depth process. But understanding the 4,000 recognised chilli varieties globally is an art in itself. With this in mind, here are ten much-loved chillis that have been measured using SHU.
1. Bell Peppers – 0 SHU
As mentioned, these peppers are not spicy but they help us to understand the baseline for the SHU scale. They are sweet, crunchy and have no heat to them.
2. Poblano – 1,000 – 2,000 SHU
This Mexican chilly is earthy and rich in flavour. It’s often dried, becoming the famous ancho chilli, which adds a gentle warmth to stews.
3. Kashmiri – 1,000 – 2,000 SHU
This Indian chilli is mild, providing a gentle, sweet warmth to dishes such as rogan josh and butter chicken.
4. Jalapeno – 2,500 – 8,000 SHU
Served on pizzas, in sandwiches and in a variety of Mexican dishes, this chilli is one of the world’s most recognisable, with a heat that’s tolerated by most people.
5. Serrano – 10,000 – 23,000 SHU
Serranos are hotter than Jalapenos but still offer that bright, crisp flavour that doesn’t overwhelm a dish. They are commonly used to make Mexican salsa.
6. Cayenne – 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
Cayenne pepper is most commonly known as a powdered spice blend. It has a clean, direct heat that’s perfect for a variety of dishes such as tikka mossala, chana mossala and jalfrezi.
7. Kanthari – 50,000 – 100,000 SHU
Also known as the Bird’s Eye chilli, the Kanthai is native to Kerala and appears in dishes from across central, southern and southeast Asia. It’s used regularly in Thai dishes and Indian pickles, giving a sharp, intense heat.
8. Scotch Bonnet – 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
Scotch Bonnets are renowned for their floral, fruity but fiery flavours. They’re a Caribbean icon that are essential for national dishes such as jerk chicken as Caribbean stews. They are also found in the British-Asian curry, phaal.
9. Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) – 800,000 – 1,000,000 SHU
Native to northeastern India, the Ghost Pepper is also known as the Naga chilli and is one of the world’s hottest chillis. It balances a fruity and sweet profile with earthy and smoky tones, and is used in Assamese and Nagaland dishes.
10. Carolina Reaper – 1,400,000 – 2,200,000 SHU
Often doubling the heat of the Ghost Pepper, the Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest chillis known to man with its slow building heat which can overwhelm even the most iron-tongued chilli lovers. Even a tiny amount can completely transform the intensity of a dish and while it must be used with care, it has a tangy, sweet flavour.
If all this talk of chillis has you craving spicy food, why not head to Little India, one of the best restaurants South Kensington? Our carefully curated menu serves up a wide range of traditional and contemporary dishes using fresh chillis, making us among the best restaurants Kensington and Chelsea for Indian cuisine. Book your table today.
