In 1912, chemist Wilbur Scoville developed a method to measure the heat level of chile peppers. The test is named after him, the "Scoville Organoleptic Test." In the original test, Wilbur blended pure ...

Here’s everything you need to know about the world’s most famous heat ranking system before you add chiles to your next meal. The Scoville scale is a measurement of pungency (aka spiciness) in members ...

In Texas, we find spice so nice we had to proclaim it twice. The Lone Star State is home to not one but two officially sanctioned chiles. In 1995, the Texas Legislature declared the ubiquitous ...

With Zest Fest on the horizon, my eyes are a little more attuned to chili-related news. A post on the Smithsonian Food and Think blog seems a perfect primer to the upcoming festivities. See Also: ...

With the recent crowning of Pepper X as the new Guinness World Record holder for hottest chili pepper, here's a look into just how the spiciness of a pepper is calculated — and some examples of very ...

When biting into a chili pepper, you expect a fiery sensation on your tongue. This spiciness is detected because of capsaicinoid compounds. But for some peppers, despite high levels of capsaicinoids, ...

What was state of the art in 1912 has mostly fallen by the wayside. Cars have replaced horses. Washing machines have replaced washboards. Air travel, refrigeration and container shipping have ...

Ever wondered why spicy foods make your mouth feel like it's on fire? Ever wondered why spicy foods make your mouth feel like it's on fire? The answer lies in a chemical compound called capsaicin.