ChilliFacts

Red Savina Scoville Heat

Red Savina measures 248,556–577,000 SHU, with a typical figure of 248,556 SHU: about 50× a typical jalapeño. It ranks #10 among verified peppers.

Also called Red Savina habanero. Capsicum chinense.

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

248,556 SHUTypical heat
248,556–577,000 SHUMeasured range
50×Against a jalapeño
Guinness recordStatus
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 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 SHUGuntur Chilli: 36,160 SHUKashmiri Chilli: 20,800 SHUSerrano: 15,000 SHUByadgi Chilli: 10,000 SHUJalapeño: 5,000 SHURed Savina · 249K1K SHU10K SHU100K SHU1M SHU
Where Red Savina sits on the Scoville scale. Each dot is a pepper in our dataset, on a log scale.

Where the number comes from

577,000 SHU was the Guinness figure (cited by Bosland & Baral as Guinness 2006). In NMSU's replicated 2005 field trial, Red Savina measured only 248,556 SHU, below a standard orange habanero (357,729) grown alongside it. NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute says its hottest Red Savina individuals reached about 500,000 SHU.

Origin

Walnut, California, USA. A habanero selection bred by Frank Garcia of GNS Spices. His selection method has not been published. [3]

Flavour and looks

Colours: dark red.

Facts

  • When NMSU grew Red Savina side by side with orange habanero in 2005, the record holder tested milder than the ordinary habanero (248,556 vs 357,729 SHU). [1]
  • The CPI lists Red Savina at 500,000 SHU among the hottest peppers it has tested (a peak). [2]

Record history

  • 1994: Guinness hottest chilli, 577,000 SHU (held 1994-2006 per Wikipedia)
  • 2007: Superseded by Bhut Jolokia

Hotter and milder

Red Savina compared

Compare Red Savina with any other pepper →

Questions

How hot is Red Savina?

Red Savina measures 248,556–577,000 SHU, with a typical figure of 248,556 SHU. That makes it a very hot pepper.

How many times hotter is Red Savina than a jalapeño?

About 50× a typical jalapeño (248,556 vs 5,000 SHU). Against the hottest jalapeños it is about 31×, and against the mildest about 99×.

Is Red Savina the hottest pepper in the world?

No. It ranks #10 in our verified ranking. The current record holder is Pepper X at 2,693,000 SHU.

Where does Red Savina come from?

Walnut, California, USA. A habanero selection bred by Frank Garcia of GNS Spices.

Is the Red Savina heat figure verified?

Guinness record: Certified by Guinness World Records from university lab tests. 577,000 SHU was the Guinness figure (cited by Bosland & Baral as Guinness 2006).

Sources

  1. Bosland & Baral, HortScience 42(2):222-224 (2007), New Mexico State University: 577,000 Guinness figure; 248,556 trial result
  2. NMSU Chile Pepper Institute, 'Heat' page (archived 19 Jun 2021): 500,000 SHU peak
  3. Wikipedia, Red Savina pepper: breeder; 1994-2006 record years (secondary source)