Scoville scale
The Scoville scale is a scale for estimating the sharpness of the fruit of pepper plant. On the Scoville scale, which was developed in 1912 by pharmacologist Wilbur L. Scoville, the Scoville based test ( original name Scoville Organoleptic Test). First, the degree of severity was determined indirectly and purely subjective, but today it can also be determined experimentally. The value depends on the proportion of capsaicin contained in the dried fruit, an alkaloid, which stimulates pain receptors of the mucous membranes and thus triggers the sharpness sensation.
Originally method according to Scoville
Wilbur L. Scoville described in his article in The Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, a procedure for the determination of capsaicin content by dilution and tasting. Subjects were asked to taste an ever dilute solution of the sample under investigation and testify if they could find focus or not. The degree of dilution at which no more focus was to determine was as Scoville units: given (SCU for Scoville Units, also for SHU Scoville Heat Units ). Peppers without detectable sharpness have the Scoville scale 0, pure capsaicin would present state of knowledge correspond ( depending on the source ) 15000000-16000000 Scoville. However, the method as described had some important limitations: first, each person has a different tolerance to capsaicin, on the other hand, this tolerance threshold is increased by constant Capsaicinaufnahme. Thus, for the result is not only the selection of subjects crucial, but also how many individual tests have been conducted with a single subject.
The ratio of liquid to be determined and used for dilution (usually water ) is expressed simply stated. This means that, for example, for 1 milliliter of pure capsaicin 15 million ml ( = 15 m³ = 15,000 liters) of water are needed to determine no more sharpness.
Sources of error in determining the Scoville degree
Many measurements - especially the record measurements - the Scoville grade were questioned. For example, the measurement of 855,000 Scoville units was at a fruit of the variety Naga Jolokia generally doubted by Indian scientists and also for the measurement of 577,000 Scoville units at the Red Savina Habanero breeding there is no precise evidence.
It is important for any part of the plant, samples were taken, as in the placenta significantly more capsaicin is stored as, for example, in the pulp. The seeds of the chili not contain capsaicin, but with the extremely sharp placenta in direct contact, so they are often also described as pungent taste. Because even fruits can significantly one and the same plant differ in their sharpness, a correspondingly high population of examined fruits and plants is necessary for a meaningful determination.
Today method used
The presently used method for determining the sharpness is the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This process identifies and measures such as the concentration of the various heat and sharpness producing capsaicinoids. The percentages of the two most common capsaicin compounds (capsaicin, dihydro- capsaicin ) and occasionally even Nor- dihydro- capsaicin were measured. The measurements of individual chemicals are weighted for their relative sharpness or heat generation.
Due to the awareness of the Scoville scale, the results of HPLC, which are actually given in units of the American Spice Trade sharpness Association ( ASTA ), converted into a rule in the Scoville reference system. The conversion is only approximately accurate and supplies from the tendency forth to low Scoville.
Other scales for focus indication
Since in different chilli varieties, different proportions of the various capsaicinoids and are the actual sharpness perception does not necessarily coincide with differences in sensitivity to these capsaicinoids with the Scoville value, yet there are other scales to indicate the sharpness of chilli.
A rather common scale, which probably comes from Mexico, a subjectively certain position in integer values from 1 to 10 is often the focus of fresh chillies, chilli powders and sauces and spice mixtures is given with these values. To allow even more accuracy and differentiation, the values will be added to the part still with " ". For some Habanero types sharpness is given as " 10 ". An indication of high levels of clarity, such as pure capsaicin is, with this scale is not possible and also not useful because of people extremely high capsaicin concentrations can not be distinguished.
Similarly constructed the Scoville scale is the Pepper Hotness Scale Hotness Scale or Dremann which Craig C. Dremann developed in 1984. The scale is the ratio between the amount of salsa and the amount of chillies used in it, so that is just a recognizable degree of sharpness available. Based on this definition, the scale is just a culinary interest, but is also applied here only rarely.
Among other things, in restaurants and on the packaging of some foods you can still find various other, mostly fictitious focusing scale. Most increasing sharpness is represented by a higher number of mapped chillies. In part, the representation is further supported by the different coloring. For example, a green chili are considered mild, two yellow and three as medium hot red chillies as sharp.
Severity of chili fruit
Most of the information about the sharpness of a Chilisorte give either a typical range or they are in the case of record messages usually only a maximum number. The sharpness of a single species can hardly be precisely specified. Many factors such as light, water, soil, and time of harvest decide on the amount of capsaicin in a chili " pepper ". This can go so far that grown under sunlight have extremely hot chiles like habaneros for winter cultivation in the greenhouse no perceptible sharpness longer. Even simultaneously harvested from the same plant chili fruit can have different degrees of sharpness.
Overview of some of Scoville -grade
Unless otherwise indicated, includes the chillies each annuum the most widely used type C..
* In the literature sometimes C. frutescens species than the cayenne chili are described belonging.
In a genetic analysis ** eight markers were found which speak for C. chinense, but also three markers in favor of C. frutescens.