What the heck is a Scoville Unit?
A. In 1912 Wilber Scoville devised what he called the Scoville Organoleptic Test to measure the heat levels of chiles. Unfortunately, this was a comparative test done by taste that was completely subjective. Now a more sophisticated test, which uses liquid chromotography, is used to determine the capsaicin level in chiles. However, in honor of Dr. Wilbur, the heat level of chile peppers is still measured in what are called Scoville Units.
