http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/rating-chili-peppers-on-a-scale-of-1-to-oh-dear-god-im-on-fire/
Really liked this part. And there's more info in the link.
Really liked this part. And there's more info in the link.
- How fast does the heat come on? Asian types of chile peppers produce instantaneous heat, while habaneros are known for a long delay.
- How long does the heat linger? Asian varietals tend to punch you in the mouth and diminish, while habaneros linger, the heat creeping up over several minutes. The lingering makes them taste “hotter,” even if they aren’t higher in parts-per-million of capsaicinoids.
- Is the heat sharp or flat? Peppers can produce a sharp pins-and-needles feeling or produce the sensation that someone has spread heat inside your mouth with a paintbrush.
- Where in the mouth do you sense the heat? Habaneros burn the back of the throat, while New Mexican varietals scorch the mid-palate.
- What is the amount of the actual heat? This is what is measured by the HPLC test.
