There are many types of peppers that you may already be familiar with: bell peppers, poblanos, serranos, and jalapenos, to name just a few. While they all have similar characteristics (i.e., green or red), each tastes differently from the other because of its unique mix of heat compounds called capsaicinoids.
Jalapeno peppers and hot lemon pepper are two very different chili pepper. Jalapenos are typically used in Mexican dishes, with dishes such as salsa, guacamole, and fajitas. In contrast, hot lemon pepper has a very distinctive flavor that is perfect for steaks and chicken dishes. But then, which is hotter: a jalapeno or a hot lemon pepper?
Which Is Hotter: Jalapeno Or Hot Lemon?
The hot lemon pepper is much hotter than the jalapeno. Hot lemon pepper has a Scoville heat unit (SHU) of 15,000 – 30,000 SHU and a median heat of 22,500 SHU. While the jalapenos vary with their rankings, it has a rate of about 2500 to 8000 SHUs. The hot lemon pepper overshadows the jalapeno in terms of hotness by a wide margin.
On average, most people will feel mild pain after eating these peppers. However, some people experience no discomfort at all, while others develop severe stomach pains within minutes after consuming them. This is often due to an inability to tolerate high amounts of this compound present in their digestive tract.
All You Need To Know About Hot Lemon Pepper
Hot lemon pepper is a type of chili pepper that originates in South America and is popularly used as an ingredient in spicy dishes, sauces, and marinades. The hot lemon pepper plant is also known as the Peruvian yellow hot pepper or lemon drop chili.
The Hot Lemon Pepper is a pepper that has a citrusy flavor and is orange-colored. It’s in the Capsicum Baccatum species and grows on plants about 2 to 3 feet tall. The Hot Lemon Pepper seed packet contains 10+ seeds which are great for replanting.
It’s not as hot as cayenne pepper. However, it still packs a punch with its distinct lemony tang making it the perfect chili for spicier salsas and citrus-based homemade hot sauces.
Although you can find dried hot lemon peppers at some grocery stores, they are usually under the name “ají limón” or “lemon drop,” which makes them a bit harder to locate than other chilis such as cayenne or habanero peppers.
All You Need To Know About Jalapeno Pepper
Jalapeno peppers are a type of chili pepper, which is a member of the Capsicum genus. The jalapeno pepper is native to Mexico and was named after Xalapa, Veracruz, where it was cultivated first.
The jalapeno chili has an elongated and pointed shape with smooth flesh that turns red when they ripen. Jalapeños have a mild flavor and are often used in Mexican dishes, such as salsa and guacamole. Jalapeño chilies can be pickled or preserved in vinegar for later use. Still, they lose some of their kick when cooked this way, so they’re usually added raw to recipes like salsa verde or mayonnaise.
How Is Pepper Hotness Measured?
The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) is the rating system used to measure the hotness of a pepper. The higher the SHU, the hotter the pepper. It is a standardized method of measuring chili peppers’ pungency or spiciness. Wilbur L. Scoville developed it in 1912 as a way to measure capsaicinoids, the chemical compounds that make peppers hot, and is used to determine whether or not a pepper is spicy enough to be rated.
Capsaicin is an active ingredient that gives peppers their heat. The more capsaicin present in a pepper, the hotter your mouth will feel after eating it. While Capsaicin is great for spiciness, it can also act as an irritant to mammals, including humans causing them to experience burning sensations when they eat them. This can lead to several conditions, including bladder irritation as well as lead to coma.
What Is The Hottest Pepper In The World?
The Carolina Reaper is the hottest pepper in the world. It was created by Ed Currie, a plant breeder from South Carolina. It is a cross between the Red Habanero and the Fatalii, both extremely hot peppers.
Carolina Reaper peaked at about 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units and averages around 1.6 million SHU. The Carolina Reaper is a pepper that can be eaten raw, but it’s not recommended. It has a strong, fruity taste and is best used in cooking or making sauces.
Other Hot Peppers to Note
The Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, and the 7 Pot Douglah are arguably the top three hottest peppers in the world. They all have SHU ratings of over 1 million, making them significantly hotter than a Jalapeno and hot lemon pepper.
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion: 2.01 million SHU.
The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (Capsicum chinense) is a chili pepper that, as of 2015, holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s hottest pepper. This chili is native to the village of Moruga, Trinidad, and Tobago.
It has a heat rating of 2.01 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Aside from the heat, they also have a delicate fruit-like flavor, making them sweet-hot combinations. The TTS can be grown from seeds in most parts of the world; however, due to its extreme potency, it should only be planted by someone who knows what they’re doing.
7 Pot Douglah: 1.85 million SHU.
Known as the 7 Pot Douglah or the Chocolate 7 Pot, this pepper is undoubtedly one of the hottest peppers in the world. It has a SHU rating of around 923,889 – 1.85 million Scoville heat units.
It’s approximately two inches long, wrinkled, and appears as pocked. Furthermore, it differs from the usual maturation color pattern of green to red of most other chilies. Instead, this pepper ages from green to chocolate-brown.
How Hot Is the Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne peppers are hot chili peppers ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale. Even with such a seemingly high rating, the Cayenne pepper is still considered a moderately spicy chili. This ensures that it’s popular to make flavor dishes worldwide.
The cayenne pepper is often around 2 – 3 inches long and can be red or green, depending on the harvest time. When picked fresh from the plant, they look like tiny bell peppers.
Conclusion
Hot lemon pepper is hotter than jalapenos. And this is evident in their SHU ratings, which show a wide margin between them. That said, taking any of the hot chilies should be done with extreme caution. Regardless of SHU ratings, chili peppers are known to pack a punch that can disrupt several bodily functions.
