I don't think its a heat level issue.... maybe more a sensitivity to one of the forms of capsaicin.... I eat jalapenos regularly as most places only have jalapenos to add to food with no issues.... most of my hot sauces are either habanero or bhut jolokia based with no issues.... my favorite spicy food from okinawa occasionally gave my hiccups as well as one of the local peppers there.... they won't say what goes into the food to make it hot, but I suspect it is the same local pepper.... interestingly enough, the chain opened up a shop here in so cal, it wasnt as hot, although some of it depends on the cooks and I suspect the waiter didnt get my order right, but it was hotter than it should have been, if he did mess it up.... and all of the Asian stores ive been to around here don't have the pepper ive been searching for as I havent had luck with my plants surviving the transplant to the ground.... not the pepper, not the powders, not the sauces, nothing.... the pepper isn't terribly hot, maybe orange habanero range, if that...