The Scoville Food Institute, dedicated to the science of heat
May 29th, 2008
Before I came across The Scoville Food Institute on The Big Idea’s “Million Dollar Question” segment, I thought hot sauce came in one flavor, one color and one level of heat (”hot” of course). Leave it to the Scoville Food Institute to create a whole periodic table of peppers and a wonderful line of hot sauces.
The Institute, founded in 2007, bases its work “on the historic findings of Professor Wilbur Scoville. Often called ‘The Father of Pepper Pungency,’ Scoville was a mild mannered and hardworking chemist/scientist who invented a ranking/rating scale measuring the pungency of peppers way back in the late 1800’s.” And you thought I was kidding when I mentioned a periodic table of peppers! These people take their hot sauce very seriously–just as seriously as they take their all-natural ingredients. Scoville hot sauces may have “a dab of this and a smidgen of that” but they are free of additives, preservatives, MSG, Red #4, and other “unworthy” ingredients.
The current line includes seven–yes, seven!–different flavors (and five different heats) of hot sauce: Cayenne (medium), Jalapeno (mild), Orange Habanero (hot), Red Savina (x-hot), 4 Pepper (medium), Extra Hot Habanero (x-hot), and Super Hot Off the Charts (xxx-hot). So if a mild hot sauce is still a bit hot, can an “xxx-hot” hot sauce burn a hole through your plate? Let me know what happens–I’m way too chicken to test this one! I’m planning to pass my bottle of Otc to my brother-in-law, who orders Thai and Indian food “spicy” and has yet to meet a hot sauce he didn’t like.
If you’re thinking these would make a great Father’s Day gift, you’re right! But the gift isn’t just the sauce. I am in love with Scoville’s creative packaging. Not only is it eye catching, fun and unique (and a million-dollar idea according to Donny Deutsch) it is also easy to understand. There’s little chance of your mixing up the Extra Hot Habanero with the 4 Pepper. And here’s something you probably didn’t know: Scoville also does Valentine’s Day labels, wedding favors–whatever you want–as long as there’s hot sauce inside. Now that’s almost as cool, or should I say as hot, as their winning three major awards at the 2007 Fiery Food Challenge! –Emily
** Giveaway! The Scoville Food Institute is giving away a gift set of sauces plus a Periodic Table of Scoville Units t-shirt (size XL). This would make the perfect gift for Father’s Day! Leave a comment telling us your favorite (or craziest!) use for hot sauce; include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: June 6, 2008 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.
** Congratulations to Amy L., the winner of the Scoville Food Institute giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!
May 30th, 2008 at 5:49 am
I love a little hot sauce on my bi bim bap.
May 30th, 2008 at 6:21 am
DH loves hot sauce in his eggs
May 30th, 2008 at 10:13 am
our neighbor gave us this tip. we had a gopher problem in our yard, so he suggested pouring hot sauce down the gopher holes. and so far, we haven’t seen any gophers.
May 31st, 2008 at 10:54 am
I use it on my rhubarb leaves to keep away bugs and I also love it on my mac and cheese.
May 31st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Happy Saturday! My youngest son and husband love hot sauce. I would love them to try this brand. It is not available in our area. Yes, it would make a fabulous Father’s Day gift!!!!!
They use hot sauce on many foods; especially, with quesadillas. My husband also makes many marinades with hot sauce as an ingredient for grilling steaks and chicken. Please enter me in your delightful drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
May 31st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
My husband puts hot sauce on his crackers (saltines). I don’t even get that but it’s ok, I don’t have to eat it, right? He’s big into hot sauces and that’s always what he picks as souvenirs when we’re on vacation. He’s got quite a collection but he uses them all so at least they’re not just taking up space. He and my son have a taste for the heat and the more heat the better. Thanks for having a very “hot” giveaway. lol
June 1st, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Hot sauce on buffalo wings
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:58 am
My husband loves hot sauce on his (shh…) butter beans. He is a Texan that complains about hot sauces not really being hot ! My eldest son uses hot sauce on literally 3/4 of his food. When he was about 15, I came home one day to find him at the refrigerator with a bottle in his mouth. At least he doesn’t drink alcohol….
Would love the shirt. It is perfect for my geeky, spicy, XL hubby!
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I am kind of boring – I put it on my sandwiches. Can’t really use it in my cooking because my kids don’t like hot sauce – my husband and I love it though, and I add it to our plates.
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
My husband loves hot sauce on any food just to spice it up, but the person who really loves hot stuff in my family is my 20 month old son. He eats Tabasco sauce & hot salsa right out of the jar! He would definitely love this set!
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
My husband can put hotsauce in anything…he’ll even eat hot sauce and plain rice. yuck
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
My husband puts it on ALL sandwiches.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Hot sauce on cucumbers (i know… I know)
gkstratos @yahoo.com
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I put hot sauce in my instant noodles and on KFC chicken, but my husband puts his on home-popped popcorn and potstickers! We both love hot sauce!
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I don’t like hot sauce, but my husband does. He loves it on eggs.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I like it on gumbo, pasta, chili, soup, just about anything! Awesome giveaway, thanks!
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I love it on wings.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I am not adventurous when it comes to spice at all, but my husband sure is. He adds it to everything…eggs, tacos, even the chicken, brocolli, and rigatoni pasta with lemon cream sauce I made the other night. I can never understand why you would want to hide all of those good flavours.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I’m not a hot sauce fan, but two of my uncles have competitions to see who can handle the hottest sauce. They’ve even had a competition as to who could MAKE the hottest sauce (one’s a grain scientist, the other a horticulturist). Hmmm…maybe this could be a prize this July fourth when they put sauce on their burgers…
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
my husband loves it on wings
thanks!
moore.g at insideconnect.net
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 pm
We put it on nachos. Chips, hot sauce, cheese…yummmm….
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I love hot sauce on my pizza and other random things with meat but I had a friend once that put it on his cupcakes bleh!
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Hot sauce on raw veggies is pretty good.
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
My husband puts hot sauce on everything! Eggs, tacos, chicken, beef, sandwiches — you name it! I think he once considered putting it on oatmeal (yuck!). This would be a rockin’ gift for Father’s Day!
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
My dad loves it on his eggs–gross!
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Hot sauce is great on everything – the hotter the better!
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
My hubby loves to put it in his chili, his salsa, and even his noodles. lol. Thanks so much for the opportunity.
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:41 pm
On eggs
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I adore hot sauce, my fave snack is selery dipped in hot sauce.
June 2nd, 2008 at 7:32 pm
A few years ago, my brother came up with a fantastic pound cake recipe including hot sauce!
June 2nd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
My mother tried to convince me to put hot sauce on my daughter’s thumb to make her stop sucking… uh, no.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
My hubby will put it on everything, even though I’m not a huge fan. I did have a student’s mom tell me she put it in a child’s mouth for discipline…
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
i like hot sauce in my asian stir-fry. yum!
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 pm
My step-dad would LOVE these!! He’s from Houston, and can’t get enough of BBQ, hot sauce, etc. We put any tangy, hot-sauces over cream cheese, and eat with crackers. Really yummy, and a super fast appetizer if you are having an impromptu gathering. Pick-a-peppa is probably my favorite sauce to use this way. Thanks for a fun giveaway!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:31 am
I’d love to add some to my homemade jelly this summer!
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:58 am
DH is the hot sauce man in our household. On his steak!
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:03 am
Hot sauce is great on a Garbage Plate (or a ‘55 Junker, or a hog plate, or a trash plate…). Gotta be from Rochester, NY to really appreciate this one.
Thanks!
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:11 am
My husband is crazy for hot sauce. His favorite is putting it on his pizza. Great father’s day gift!
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
On the plants to keep the bugs & other critters away.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
my grandfather loved hot sauces, some would water your eyes from across the table. When I was congested as a kid he would open of a bottle and have me take a sniff. Soon I would be cleared up (horseradish works well too)
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I am certain that my husband, who loves things that are spicy and loves peanut butter, would consider a hot sauce/peanut butter sandwich delicious!
June 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I really like using hot sauce on the wings my dad makes… he would love this as a Father’s Day gift… thanks!
June 4th, 2008 at 11:32 am
My father and brothers have whole conversations for hours about hot sauce. I think more than half of the fridge door compartments were filled with hot sauces when I was growing up.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
In our family, we put hot sauce on pretty much anything. Even the kids like it.
At about 15 months, our girls wanted a bite of our home-made hot wings (super hot. My dh makes them). We figured if we gave them a bite with a tiny drop of sauce on it, that would shut them up. No such luck. They loved it. We gave them their own wings expecting that to finally end it, but nope, they loved it and they’ve been eating (and loving) hot sauce ever since.
We’re so proud.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I like to put a little hot sauce in my mustard before putting it on my hot dog. Whoa!
June 6th, 2008 at 6:30 am
I love hot sauce on peaches.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I love hot suace on salami with mayo sandwiches(this was my elementary school lunch every day!)
jceko77@yahoo.com
June 6th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I like hot sauce on macaroni and cheese.
June 6th, 2008 at 7:36 am
We love hot sauce on macc and cheese, pizza, saltines (crazy huh?), eggs, chicken, french fries, anything being grilled. We are a hot sauce family!!!!!!
AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!!
Eileen-Lilly(at)hotmail(dot)com
June 6th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
my son would love this – he makes a meat loaf with hot sauce that is really good!
June 6th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Hot sauce on scrambled eggs
June 10th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Hello All,
I loved reading all the ways people use hot sauce.
Thanks so much to Emily & Daria for featuring us on their blog.
To all of those bloggers who didn’t win, take heart. If you visit our website and any bottle of sauce from our store, we will throw in one free bottle and double your order.
Good for up to THREE free bottles only.
So, buy one, get one. buy two, get two. or, buy three, get three. great deal!
Thanks again,
Jon Whaley
President
Scoville Food Institute