Anaheim

The name Anaheim refers to a mild variety of the New Mexican chile pepper, which is a member of the Capsicum genus. New Mexican cultivars were developed in the state by Dr. Fabian Garcia about 100 years ago. They got the name "Anaheim" when a farmer named Emilio Ortega brought these seeds to the Anaheim, California, area in the early 1900s. They are also called California chile peppers. The chile "heat" of Anaheims typically ranges from 500 to 2,500 on the Scoville scale.^[1] Many varieties of New Mexico chiles reach 4,500 to 5,000 Scoville units.

Scoville Rating: 500-5000

Aleppo

The Aleppo pepper is a variety of Capsicum annuum named after the town Aleppo in northern Syria. Most Aleppo peppers are grown in Syria.

It has a moderate heat level with some fruitiness and mild, cumin-like undertones. The most common form found is crushed flakes, which are typically slightly milder and more oily than conventional crushed red peppers, with a hint of saltiness and a slightly raisin-like flavor.

Aleppo pepper usually refers to the dried and coarsely ground spice, produced in Syria.

Scoville Rating: ???

Poblano

The Poblano is a very mild chile pepper originating in the State of Puebla, Mexico. One of the most popular peppers grown in Mexico, the plant (of the species Capsicum annuum) is multi-stemmed, and can reach 25 inches in height. The pod itself is about three to six inches long, and about two to three inches wide. An immature poblano is dark purplish green in color, but eventually turns a red so dark as to be nearly black. It can be prepared a number of ways, commonly including: dried, coated in whipped egg (capeado) and fried, stuffed, or in mole sauces. It is particularly popular during the Mexican independence festivities as part of a sophisticated dish called Chiles en Nogada which incorporates green, white and red ingredients corresponding to the colors of the Mexican flag. This very well may be considered as one of Mexico's most symbolic dishes by its nationals. Poblanos are also popular in the United States and can be found in many grocery stores in the states bordering Mexico and in urban areas.

After being roasted and peeled (which improves the texture by removing the waxy skin), it can be preserved by either canning or freezing. Storing Poblanos in airtight containers will also suffice for several months.

When dried, this pepper becomes a broad, flat, heart-shaped pod called an Ancho chile (meaning "wide" in Spanish), often ground into a powder used for flavoring recipes.

Another variety of dried poblano, which is darker in color, sweeter in flavor, and softer in texture, is called a Mulato chile.

"Poblano" is also the word for an inhabitant of Puebla, Mexico.

Scoville Rating: 1000-1500

Jalapeno

The jalapeno (Nahuatl: xalapeno (pronounced /ˌhæləˈpiːnoʊ/ or /ˌhæləˈpeɪnjoʊ/; Spanish pronunciation: [xalaˈpeɲo]) is a medium to large size chili pepper which is prized for its warm, burning sensation when eaten. Ripe, the jalapeno can be 2–3½ inches (5–9 cm) long and is commonly sold when still green. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum originating in Mexico. It is named after the town of Xalapa, Veracruz, where it was traditionally produced. 160 square kilometres are dedicated for the cultivation of jalapeno in Mexico alone, primarily in the Papaloapan river basin in the north of the state of Veracruz and in the Delicias, Chihuahua area. Jalapenos are also cultivated on smaller scales in Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Chiapas. The jalapeno is known by different names throughout Mexico, such as cuaresmeños, huachinangos, and chiles gordos. Contrary to popular belief, jalapeno is properly spelled without the accent mark over the letter "n". The accent mark helps to prevent mispronunciation for people of non-latin origin, however it is not the proper way to write the word.

As of 1999^[update], 5,500 acres (22 km²) in the United States were dedicated to the cultivation of jalapenos. Most jalapenos were produced in southern New Mexico and western Texas.

Jalapenos are a pod type of Capsicum. The growing period for a jalapeno plant is 70–80 days. When mature, the plant stands two and a half to three feet tall. Typically, a single plant will produce twenty five to thirty five pods. During a growing period, a plant will be picked multiple times. As the growing season comes to an end, the jalapenos start to turn red. The fresh market consists of green jalapeños, and red jalapenos are considered inferior. Growers often either discard the red jalapeños into the ground or use them for the production of chipotles.

The jalapeno rates between 2,500 and 10,000 Scoville units in heat. In comparison with other chili peppers, the jalapeno has a heat level that varies from mild to hot depending on cultivation and preparation. The heat, which is caused by capsaicin and related compounds, is concentrated in the veins (placenta) surrounding the seeds, which are called picante. — deseeding and deveining can reduce the heat imparted to a recipe that includes jalapenos. They also have a distinct acidic taste. Handling fresh jalapenos may cause mild skin irritation in some individuals. Some handlers choose to wear latex or vinyl gloves while cutting, skinning, or seeding jalapenos.

Scoville Rating: 2500-8000

Pepperoncini

Pepperoncini are a variety of the species Capsicum annuum, like bell peppers and chili peppers. They are also known as Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers and golden Greek peppers. While called pepperoncini in American English, in Italy these particular kind of peppers are called friggitello (plural friggitelli) or more generally pepperone (plural pepperoni) like other sweet varieties of peppers, while the term pepperoncini (singular pepperoncino) is used for hotter varieties of chili peppers. Pepperoni should not be confused with pepperoni, the English name for a typical Italian spicy salami. The Greek varieties are sweeter and less bitter than the Italian varieties grown in Tuscany. Pepperoncini are mild with a slight heat to them and are commonly pickled and sold packaged in jars.

Scoville Rating: 0-500

Pimento/Cherry Pepper

The pimento, pimiento, or cherry pepper is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) that measures 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) long and 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 inches) wide (medium, elongate). The flesh of the pimento is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper. Some varieties of the pimento type are hot, including the Floral Gem and Santa Fe Grande varieties. Pimento or pimentão are Portuguese words for "bell pepper", while pimenta refers both to chili peppers and to black peppercorns. It is typically used fresh, or pickled and jarred.

Pimento is sometimes a synonym for Allspice.

Scoville Rating: 0-999

Scoville Units

The Scoville Scale is a measure of the hotness of a particular chili pepper, defined by the amount of capsaicin found in the pepper. Capsaicin is a chemical that stimulates the nerve endings in our skin. The scale is named after Wilbur Scoville, an American chemist who developed way of rating the spicyness of chili peppers. This method, known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test, was developed by Scoville in 1912. Another way to determine a plant's hotness in Scoville units uses high performance liquid chromatography, making it possible to directly measure a pepper's capsaicin content. Scoville's method uses a solution of pepper extract which is then diluted in sugar syrup until a team of five tasters can no longer detect the pepper's spicyness. Scoville's method is inherently flawed in that it relies on humans to determine it's value; therefore the more complicated high performance method is used more often these days.

On this site, we will list the Scoville rating of peppers as long as we can find it. Here is a chart that gives a brief overview of the Scoville Unit Scale.

Scoville rating	Type of pepper
15,000,000–16,000,000	Pure capsaicin
8,600,000–9,100,000	Various capsaicinoids (e.g. homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin)
500,000–5,300,000	Law Enforcement Grade pepper spray, FN 303 irritant ammunition
855,000–1,050,000	Naga Jolokia
350,000–580,000	Red Savina Habanero
100,000–350,000	Habanero chili, Scotch Bonnet Pepper, Datil pepper, Rocoto, Jamaican Hot Pepper, African Birdseye, Madame Jeanette
50,000–100,000	Thai Pepper, Malagueta Pepper, Chiltepin Pepper, Pequin Pepper
30,000–50,000	Cayenne Pepper, Ají pepper, Tabasco pepper, some Chipotle peppers
10,000–23,000	Serrano Pepper, some Chipotle peppers
2,500–8,000	Jalapeño Pepper, Guajillo pepper, New Mexican varieties of Anaheim pepper, Paprika (hungarian wax pepper)
500–2,500	Anaheim pepper, Poblano Pepper, Rocotillo Pepper
100–500	Pimento, Pepperoncini, Bell pepper
0	No heat (Compliments of WikiPedia)