What Is a Habanero Chile?
The habanero chile is generally considered to be one of the hottest chile peppers in the world. Habaneros are typically used in salsa, sauces, and various seasonings. This type of chile is usually green until it ripens; when ripe, the color may change to one of any variety of colors, including red, white, orange, salmon, and chocolate. Most mature habanero chiles are between 1.5 to 2 inches (about 3.8 to 5 cm) long and may be round, oblong, or lantern-shaped. Measuring the hotness of peppers is often done using Scoville units. Wilbur L. Scoville, a pharmacologist, developed the system in 1912. This system may not be completely accurate because at the time, the results were dependent on a panel of testers who sampled various pepper extracts diluted with water. The testers tried to find out how much water was needed to dilute each extract until the heat could no longer be detected. According to this method, the habanero chile rates at about 200,000 to 300,000 Scoville units.
