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!