ChilliFacts

Guntur Chilli Scoville Heat

Guntur Chilli measures 35,000–40,000 SHU, with a typical figure of 36,160 SHU: about 7.2× a typical jalapeño. It ranks #18 among verified peppers.

Also called Guntur Sannam (S4), S4 type. Capsicum annuum var. longum.

Data checked October 20, 2026 · How we rank and verify

36,160 SHUTypical heat
35,000–40,000 SHUMeasured range
7.2×Against a jalapeño
Lab testedStatus
Pepper X: 2,693,000 SHUDragon's Breath: 2,480,000 SHUCarolina Reaper: 1,641,183 SHUTrinidad Scorpion Butch T: 1,463,700 SHU7 Pot Primo: 1,400,000 SHUKomodo Dragon: 1,400,000 SHUNaga Viper: 1,382,118 SHUTrinidad Moruga Scorpion: 1,200,000 SHUInfinity: 1,176,182 SHU7 Pot Brain Strain: 1,175,000 SHU7 Pot Douglah: 1,170,000 SHUDorset Naga: 1,032,310 SHUGhost Pepper: 1,001,304 SHUNaga Morich: 1,000,000 SHUDalle Khursani: 393,950 SHUFatalii: 262,500 SHURed Savina: 248,556 SHUHabanero: 225,000 SHUScotch Bonnet: 225,000 SHUDatil: 200,000 SHUKanthari: 80,640 SHUBird's Eye Chilli: 75,000 SHUCayenne: 40,000 SHUTabasco: 40,000 SHUKashmiri Chilli: 20,800 SHUSerrano: 15,000 SHUByadgi Chilli: 10,000 SHUJalapeño: 5,000 SHUGuntur Chilli · 36,1601K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Where Guntur Chilli sits on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Where the number comes from

Our typical figure is derived from the Spices Board's 0.226% capsaicin (2,260 ppm x 16 = 36,160). That agrees with the 35,000-40,000 range on Wikipedia. Spices Board ASTA colour is 32.11.

Origin

Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India (also Prakasam, Warangal, Khammam). 'Sannam' means 'thin' in Telugu. It is a long, thick-skinned hot red chilli traded as the 'S4 type'. Guntur is India's biggest chilli trading hub. [1]

Flavour and looks

Hot, pungent.

Colours: red.

Facts

  • Guntur Sannam Chilli is GI-registered under application 143 (certificate dated 28 May 2010; valid to 28 Oct 2028). [1]
  • The Spices Board lists annual production of about 280,000 tonnes, with ASTA colour 32.11 and capsaicin 0.226%. [3]
  • It is mainly used for its pungency and for extracting capsaicin. [4]

Record history

  • 2008-10-29: GI application no. 143 filed by Spices Board
  • 2009-12-30: Published in GI Journal no. 31
  • 2010-05-28: GI certificate no. 122 issued

Hotter and milder

Guntur Chilli compared

Compare Guntur Chilli with any other pepper →

Part of our guide to Indian chilli varieties.

Questions

How hot is Guntur Chilli?

Guntur Chilli measures 35,000–40,000 SHU, with a typical figure of 36,160 SHU. That makes it a hot pepper.

How many times hotter is Guntur Chilli than a jalapeño?

About 7.2× a typical jalapeño (36,160 vs 5,000 SHU). Against the hottest jalapeños it is about 4.5×, and against the mildest about 14×.

Is Guntur Chilli the hottest pepper in the world?

No. It ranks #18 in our verified ranking. The current record holder is Pepper X at 2,693,000 SHU.

Where does Guntur Chilli come from?

Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India (also Prakasam, Warangal, Khammam). 'Sannam' means 'thin' in Telugu.

Is the Guntur Chilli heat figure verified?

Lab tested: Measured by a university, government or peer-reviewed lab. Our typical figure is derived from the Spices Board's 0.226% capsaicin (2,260 ppm x 16 = 36,160).

Sources

  1. IP India GI Registry, application 143 (Guntur Sannam Chilli): GI dates and numbers
  2. Spices Board India, 'List of GI Tags Registered for Spices' (as of 15/09/2026): certificate date
  3. Spices Board India, Chilli spice catalogue (archived 8 Jun 2026): capsaicin 0.226%, ASTA 32.11, districts, production
  4. Wikipedia, Guntur Sannam: 35,000-40,000 SHU; 'Sannam' meaning (secondary source)