Medium-Hot · 10,000 – 25,000 SHU
Smaller and punchier than Jalapeño — five to ten times the kick in a thinner pod.
About the pepper
Serranos are the default “seriously spicy” fresh pepper in Mexican kitchens. They bring sharper, cleaner heat than Jalapeño in a size that’s easy to mince fine.
They sit in the chart’s 10–25k SHU band alongside Cayenne and Tabasco cultivar — great for salsas crudas where you want noticeable fire without chinense smoke.
Also known as
Chile serrano
Good to know
Quick facts, trivia, and context worth knowing before you reach for the bottle.
Fact 1
The name comes from the Spanish sierra (mountain ridge), nodding to its highland origin.
Fact 2
Often sold green; red serranos can be hotter and sweeter.
Fact 3
A top pick for quick pickle jars.
Keep exploring
Harmony grows and blends a wide range of cultivars — each brings a different place on the Scoville Scale and a different flavor to the bottle.
Medium-Hot · 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
Scotch Bonnet
The most aromatic pepper in the Caribbean — stone-fruit aroma, floral finish, and real heat behind it.
Medium-Hot · 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
Habanero
The workhorse of the super-hot family — citrus-forward, clean heat, and endlessly versatile on the shelf.
Medium-Hot · 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
Cayenne
The archetypal “red pepper” behind supermarket hot sauce and kitchen spice jars.
Medium-Hot · 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
Tabasco pepper
The namesake cultivar behind Louisiana-style vinegar pepper sauce — small, juicy, and high-yield.
Extreme · 800,000 – 1,041,427 SHU
Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper)
The first chili certified above one million Scoville units — smoky, fruity, and genuinely ghostly in the back of the throat.
Extreme · 1,569,300 – 2,200,000 SHU
Carolina Reaper
The record-holder. Bred specifically for maximum Scoville, but with a genuinely fruity front note before the burn takes over.
Medium · 500 – 2,500 SHU
Anaheim
The gentle workhorse of the Southwest — mild, slightly sweet, and perfect when you want flavor without a fight.
Medium · 2,500 – 8,000 SHU
Jalapeño
The world’s most familiar hot pepper — bright, snappy heat you can slice onto anything.
Medium · 2,500 – 10,000 SHU
Fresno
Jalapeño-shaped heat with a fruitier edge — red Fresnos bring color and capsaicin together.
