Dec . 14, 2023 00:09 Back to list

The most authoritative method for testing the spiciness of chili peppers

In 1912, the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) index was introduced to quantify the spiciness of chili peppers. For details on the specific measurement method, please refer to the preceding tweet.

The assessment of SHU spiciness through human taste is inherently subjective and lacks precision. Consequently, in 1985, the American Spice Trade Association adopted the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method to enhance the accuracy of chili pepper spiciness measurement. The unit of spiciness, known as ppmH, denotes parts per million of Heat per million spiciness.

HPLC, an acronym for high-performance liquid chromatography, involves the separation and analysis of compounds in a liquid mixture.

Studies reveal that chili peppers derive their spiciness from seven distinct types of capsaicin, with capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin being the primary ones. The HPLC method exclusively gauges the content of these two capsaicinoids. It calculates the weighted sum of their areas, dividing it by the area value of the standard reagent to derive a value in ppmH.

The accompanying visual representation is a graphical diagram generated by the instrument. The horizontal axis represents the retention time in methanol, with a testing duration of 7 minutes. The vertical axis illustrates the measured reaction intensity.

Within the diagram:

- 'a' denotes the peak area of the color.

- 'b' represents the peak area of capsaicin, enclosed by the curve and the baseline (indicated by the dotted line).

- 'c' signifies the peak area of dihydrocapsaicin, enclosed by the curve and the baseline (delineated by the dotted line).

To ascertain standardization, the peak area must be acquired and measured using standard reagents. The calculated ppmH value is then multiplied by 15 to obtain the corresponding SHU spiciness. This comprehensive approach ensures a more precise and standardized evaluation of chili pepper spiciness.