22 January is National Hot Sauce Day in the US. It falls on the birthday of Wilbur Scoville, the pharmacist who created his heat test in 1912.
22 January is celebrated as National Hot Sauce Day in the US, honoring Wilbur Lincoln Scoville, born on January 22, 1865. Scoville, a pioneering pharmacist, developed the Scoville Organoleptic Test and the Scoville Scale, revolutionizing how we measure the heat of chili peppers.
The scale’s unit, Scoville Heat Unit (SHU), quantifies the spiciness of various peppers and hot sauces. His legacy lives on, influencing culinary enthusiasts and spice lovers worldwide, as we celebrate the man who brought scientific precision to the world of heat. Enjoy a dash of your favorite hot sauce in his honor today!
Why it matters for growers: Scoville numbers on seed packets are ranges, not promises. Sun, water and stress change how hot each plant gets.
Source: NIST