Pepperakademija
Everything you should know before buying sauces. About heat, pepper varieties, capsaicin and how to cool your tongue when it gets too much. Short and clear — Aštriai Aštru style.
01The Scoville scale
Wilbur Scoville — an American pharmacologist — created a method to measure a pepper’s heat in 1912. The scale is measured in SHU units (Scoville Heat Units). Bell pepper — 0 SHU. Carolina Reaper — over 2 million.
How is it measured?
The original Scoville method was crude: pepper extract is diluted with sugar water until tasters feel no heat. SHU = how many times the heat must be diluted to vanish. Today heat is measured by chromatography (HPLC), but it’s still expressed in Scoville units.
The most popular peppers by scale
In Aštriai Aštru sauces we use our own 1–10 scale, not SHU. Why? A sauce isn’t a pepper. The bottle also holds spices, vegetables and vinegar that balance the heat. Our 9/10 doesn’t mean 1.5M SHU — it means you might need milk.
02Pepper varieties
A few of the peppers we grow — with history, character and geography.
Jalapeño
2 500–8 000 SHUA Mexican classic. Green, large, juicy. Good for beginners — hot but controllable.
Habanero
100 000–350 000 SHUA tropical pepper. Hot, but with fruity accents. Ideal for poultry, marinades, stews.
Bhut Jolokia (Ghost)
800 000–1,1 mln SHUIn 2007 it was the world’s hottest. From India’s Assam region, with a smoky flavour.
Moruga Scorpion
1,2–2 mln SHUIn 2012 it became the world’s hottest. A Trinidad pepper with a yellow or red pod.
Carolina Reaper
1,4–2,2 mln SHUGuinness record holder from 2013 to 2023. A pepper with a “reaper” tail and a fruity, almost chocolatey flavour.
7 Pot Brain Strain
1,2–1,3 mln SHUA wrinkled-textured Trinidad pepper. Legend says one pepper seasons 7 pots of food — hence the name.
03The science of capsaicin
Heat is not a taste, o a pain sensation. The human tongue has 5 taste receptors (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami). Heat isn’t on this list.
Heat is caused by capsaicin — a molecule that activates the TRPV1 receptor. It’s the same receptor that responds to heat (above 43°C). In other words — when you eat a hot pepper, your brain thinks your mouth is “burning.” Hence the sweat, tears and flushed skin.
“Capsaicin doesn’t burn your tongue. The brain only thinks it does. Through evolution the plant developed capsaicin so mammals wouldn’t eat it. But birds don’t feel it — they spread the seeds, which is how chilli spread so fast in nature. Heat is the plant’s reproduction strategy.”
Why do we like it?
The same TRPV1 stimulation triggers a release of endorphins and dopamine — natural “pleasure” hormones. That’s why heat is habit-forming. You start with Mango Tango, then Jalapeño Club. A year later you’re eating Sabotage. It’s called “benign masochism” — safe, controlled “pain” that brings pleasure.
Heat “waves”
Different peppers have different heat profiles:
- Fast peak (Habanero, Jalapeño): heat hits in 5–10 seconds, fades in 2–3 minutes.
- Slow peak (Ghost Pepper): for the first 30 seconds it warms pleasantly, then after a minute it burns at full force.
- Two waves (Carolina Reaper): first wave in 10 sec, calms, then returns twice as strong after 2 minutes.
04First aid
Sauce hit harder than expected? Here is what really helps — and what really does NOT.
Milk / yoghurt
The best option. Casein (a milk protein) binds to capsaicin and washes it away. Cold milk — even better.
Ice cream
Cold + milk + sugar = triple effect. Curd cheese, sour cream, anything dairy-based.
Bread / potatoes
Absorbs capsaicin and lifts it off the tongue. Better than alcohol or water.
Sugar / honey
A spoon of sugar or honey helps neutralise capsaicin. Chocolate works too.
Water
Capsaicin is an oil. Water just spreads it. A gulp of water makes it worse, not better.
Beer / wine
Alcohol doesn’t help — capsaicin dissolves in it but isn’t flushed away. Plus alcohol widens blood vessels and increases the sensation.
Green tea
Heat and tannins only make it worse. Cold drinks are better, but still not as good as milk.
Sugary fizzy drinks
Sugar can help a little, but acids like carbonation often sharpen the feeling. Tonic is neutral but doesn’t help.
Customers often ask for a “dip” for snacks and dishes. Our tip: 1 part Ghost Ritual, 2 parts sour cream. Mix, dip a rib or a fry — big flavour, no shock. Best with sauces above 6+ heat.
05Growing in Lithuania
Lithuania isn’t the Caribbean. No tropical climate. But in greenhouses, with the right care, Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper, Habanero, Moruga Scorpion and many of our other peppers thrive. We also grow with partners, so we can supply raw material for your products too.
Why does it matter?
Imported hot peppers travel a long way. E.g. Caribbean → Netherlands → Lithuania. Within weeks of picking they lose aroma and only heat remains. Our home-grown pepper reaches processing within 24 h of picking. That makes the sauce richer, more aromatic, deeper.
How does chilli grow?
- December – January: seeds are germinated (25–28°C, high humidity).
- March – April: seedlings reach 5–10 cm and move to larger pots.
- May – June: plants move to the greenhouses.
- August – September: flowering and fruiting.
- September – October: harvest. Carolina Reaper takes 90–120 days to ripen.
- November: end of season.
Challenges
In Lithuania chilli needs stable temperatures (summer nights can be too cold), high humidity and extra lighting early on. It’s expensive — but that’s why our bottle costs more than mass-produced sauce.
“In my first year of growing peppers I took on 20 different varieties — that experiment taught me I had bitten off too much, since each variety needs attention. The greenhouses are far out of town, so I spent a lot of time on the different ripening times of different varieties. But the best feeling is using your first peppers to create your own product.”
06Health effects
Hot peppers aren’t just about flavour. Many studies show regular capsaicin intake has concrete health effects. Here are the main ones:
Proven effects
- Faster metabolism. Capsaicin raises body temperature, burning ~50–100 kcal more per day.
- Appetite control. Studies show capsaicin reduces appetite and curbs unnecessary snacking.
- Endorphin release. The “chilli high” isn’t a metaphor. Capsaicin activates the dopamine system, much like coffee, sugar or some less legal substances.
- Better circulation. Capsaicin widens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure over time.
- Antioxidants. Peppers are rich in vitamin C (more than a lemon) and other antioxidants.
Caution
Heat isn’t for everyone. For people with gastritis or reflux hot sauces can worsen symptoms. For pregnant women and children — be careful. If in doubt, consult a doctor.
Myth: “Spicy food causes stomach ulcers.” Truth: ulcers are caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium or long-term NSAID use.
You can become a heat connoisseur.
Start with a sauce at your level. Take the heat quiz — get a recommendation in a minute.
Take the heat quiz Browse sauces