Pablano / Poblano Chili Peppers

The “Gilette Method” is a high performance (or high pressure) liquid chromatography method that is now used to measure the spicy heat of peppers. HLPC, for short, is able to identify and measure the amount of heat producing chemicals in a pepper. The amount of chemicals is further calculated with a mathematical formula which compares the result to that of the other peppers’ capacity to produce a sensation of heat. The result is yielded, not in Scoville Units, but in something called “ASTA pungency units.” The ASTA pungency units are one part capsaicin per million and is approximately equal to that of 15 Scoville Scale units. Since this is not an exact comparison, the test results tend to be about 20-40% lower than what the Scoville Scale tests results would be. Needless to say, this method is a little more sophisticate than that of the Scoville Scale since it is based on a scientific and mathematical process, rather than than the opinions of a panel of human taste testers.

The Scoville Scale, and how the peppers on it are rated, was originally determined by a panel of taste testers. There are usually five people that make up the panel of taste testers and they are part of what is called the Scoville Organoleptic Test. This test was developed by Wilbur Scoville himself in 1912.

The panel of testers for the SOT are given a solution to taste which is essentially pepper extract that has been diluted with sugar water until the testers can no longer taste the heat. The amount of solution that has to be added to the extract to dilute the heat is recorded and that amount is what is used to determine the level of heat for each pepper tested. Many people have argued that this test is not reliable because it is based on the subjective opinion of humans which has we all know, opinions vary greatly from person to person.  In other words, it is not quite as sophisticated of a method as the Gillette Method which is based on scientific tests and mathematical formulas.