The Chilli Index
Articles
Field notes on growing, recipes, the science of heat, and the varieties worth knowing.
8 articles
ScienceWhat Is the Hottest Chilli in the World? (2026, with receipts)
Pepper X holds the record at 2,693,000 SHU. Almost everything else written on this subject is a claim with no paperwork behind it - so here is which figure came from where.
ScienceScotch Bonnet vs Habanero: the actual differences
On heat alone there is nothing between them. What separates a Scotch bonnet from a habanero is shape, flavour and about two thousand miles of culinary history.
VarietiesDorset Naga: the British chilli that broke the record
The most significant chilli ever bred in Britain started with naga morich seed from an Asian grocery, and took ten years of patient selection before anyone heard about it.
GrowingHow to Grow Chillies in the UK: the complete calendar
Growing chillies in Britain is a scheduling problem more than a horticultural one. Get the timing right and most varieties are straightforward.
VarietiesCarolina Reaper: growing the world's most famous superhot in Britain
The Reaper held the world record for a decade and it will grow in a British greenhouse - but the difference between ripe pods and a compost heap is almost entirely about when you sowed.
ScienceGhost Pepper vs Carolina Reaper
One grew out of northeast India over centuries; the other was built in South Carolina to break a record. The heat gap is real but overstated - what differs is what they're for.
GrowingGetting Started with Chilli Growing
A practical introduction to growing chillies from seed in the UK climate, drawing on 15 years of trial, error, and the occasional triumph.
ScienceUnderstanding the Scoville Scale
The Scoville scale is the gold standard for measuring chilli heat — but the number on the page only tells half the story.