Scoville Organoleptic Test

The Scoville Organoleptic Test measures how spicy a chili pepper is. It involves diluting a pepper extract with sugar water until a trained taste tester no longer perceives heat. The amount of dilution needed indicates the pepper’s heat level: higher dilutions mean spicier peppers. The result is expressed in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which quantify the capsaicin content—the compound responsible for spiciness. This test was developed in the 1910s and remains a traditional way to evaluate chili peppers’ heat, though modern methods often use chemical analysis for more precision.