Food & Drink

Types of Chili Pepper

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Updated:3/7/2026
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Pepper
Origin
Scoville Heat Units (SHU)
Flavor Profile
Known For
Jalapeño
Xalapa, Mexico2,500-8,000 SHUBright, grassy, mild heatWorld's most popular chili, first pepper in space (1982 shuttle mission), smoked version is chipotle, nacho topping king
Habanero
Amazon basin / Yucatán, Mexico100,000-350,000 SHUFruity, citrusy, intense heatHeld world's hottest record until 2007, Scotch Bonnet's cousin, essential in Yucatecan cuisine, lantern-shaped pods
Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
Northeast India (Assam)855,000-1,041,427 SHUSmoky, sweet, then devastating heatFirst pepper to exceed 1 million SHU, Guinness record 2007, Indian military weaponized it as a smoke bomb, delayed heat onset
Carolina Reaper
Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA1,400,000-2,200,000 SHUSweet fruity start, then apocalyptic burnCurrent Guinness World Record hottest pepper, bred by 'Smokin' Ed Currie, distinctive scorpion tail, YouTube challenge videos
Serrano
Mountains of Puebla/Hidalgo, Mexico10,000-23,000 SHUCrisp, bright, clean heatEaten raw more than any other chili, essential in pico de gallo and salsa verde, thinner walls mean less roasting, workhorse of Mexican kitchens
Cayenne
French Guiana (Cayenne city)30,000-50,000 SHUNeutral, pure heat, slightly earthyDried and ground into the red powder in every spice rack, used in traditional medicine, Tabasco sauce ingredient, the default 'hot pepper'
Scotch Bonnet
Caribbean100,000-350,000 SHUSweet, fruity, tropical, very hotEssential in jerk seasoning and Caribbean cuisine, named for resemblance to a tam o'shanter hat, slightly sweeter than its habanero cousin
Thai Bird's Eye (Prik Khi Nu)
Thailand / Southeast Asia50,000-100,000 SHUSharp, peppery, immediate burnTiny but ferocious, backbone of Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian cooking, red and green varieties, grows pointing skyward on the plant
Poblano
Puebla, Mexico1,000-2,000 SHURich, earthy, mild, slightly sweetChile rellenos are stuffed poblanos, dried version is called ancho, dark green and wide-shouldered, mildest of the Mexican big five
Anaheim
New Mexico, USA (via Anaheim, CA)500-2,500 SHUMild, slightly sweet, tangyHatch chile variant, New Mexico's state question is 'red or green?', roasted and peeled in bulk every fall, mild enough for stuffing
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago1,200,000-2,009,231 SHUFruity sweetness before extreme heatBriefly held the world's hottest record (2012), golf-ball sized pods, from a tiny fishing village, Scorpion tail tip at the bottom
Chipotle (dried smoked Jalapeño)
Mexico2,500-8,000 SHUSmoky, chocolatey, medium heatJust a smoked and dried jalapeño, name from Nahuatl 'chilpoctli,' adobo sauce staple, gave its name to a massive restaurant chain
Tabasco Pepper
Tabasco, Mexico30,000-50,000 SHUVinegary, pungent, sharp heatMcIlhenny family's Tabasco sauce since 1868, aged in bourbon barrels on Avery Island, Louisiana, in every MRE and on every diner table
Guajillo
Mexico2,500-5,000 SHUBerry-like, tangy, mild-medium heatSecond most used dried chili in Mexican cuisine (after ancho), essential in mole and enchilada sauce, smooth dark red skin, subtle fruity complexity
Pepper X
Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA2,693,000 SHU (2023)Intensely hot with no discernible flavor at peak heatEd Currie's follow-up to the Carolina Reaper, current world record holder as of 2023, bred over 10 years, featured on Hot Ones Last Dab sauce

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