Pepper, or rather piper peppers , all contain a molecule responsible for the heat released in the mouth: piperine. Discovered in 1819 by the physicist-chemist Hans Christian Ørsted , it is found in all these peppers but curiously also in a mushroom: the Peppered Boletus or Chalciporus piperatus . This cep does not present much interest in being eaten like a Bordeaux cep, its piperine level being very high. It would be like taking a tablespoon of peppercorns. However, it can be picked to be dried, reduced to powder to serve as a peppery condiment, or even a substitute if you lack pepper!
Piperine, concentrated in the kernel of the peppercorn, is measured on the Scoville scale ( Scoville Scale ). Pure piperine has a level of 100,000 compared to the level of 16,000,000,000 of pure capsaicin found in chili peppers.
So a pepper will never be able to compete with a hot pepper. We could compare the strength of a pepper with Espelette pepper or Ancho pepper. But it won't compete with a West Indian pepper!
The Strongest ?
This will therefore depend on its piperine level. The level of piperine will depend on the terroir, the climate and the care taken by the producer. A pepper found in supermarkets will evolve towards 3-4% piperine, these are medium quality peppers not comparable to a “premium” pepper that you will find in delicatessens or even directly from the producer! (if it does a good job).
In premium peppers we generally find a piperine level of between 5 and 6%. Renowned peppers will give you satisfaction at this rate.
We don't know what the most powerful pepper in the world is, but we do know one pepper that is the most powerful known: Yupanqui pepper. Yupanqui is the name of our producer, located in Ecuador, who does remarkable work. Its aromatic pepper has a piperine level of between 7 and 8%. An exception. It was awarded a Silver medal in 2021 at the National Fine Grocery Trophy (Les Epicures see article link)
The advantage of a strong pepper is simply that you use less.
Finally, note that the piperine level reaches its peak when the grain changes from green to yellow. When it is red (this gives red pepper) this rate decreases. This explains why red pepper is milder, more subtle and used by chefs in desserts. So prefer black pepper (which comes from green) or yellow pepper.
Max Daumin
Max Daumin Spices
Gold 2017-2018 Silver 2020 - 2021 Bronze 2019 | National delicatessen trophy
Artisanal producer of the Culinary College of France 2021