Chile – Habanero Chocolate

If you like serious smoky sweet heat, step right up
Chocolate habaneros are even spicier than the Red Savina with unique earthy and smoky undertones that complement their typical habanero sweetness.
Chocolate habaneros are hotter than regular habaneros?
They are. In terms of the Scoville scale, chocolate habaneros tend to hit around 425,000 – 577,000 Scoville heat units. That can easily be double the heat of a regular habanero. Versus the Red Savina, chocolate habaneros are very similar in terms of heat. The main difference: the mildest chocolate (around 450,000 SHU) will always be hotter than the mildest Red Savina (350,000 SHU).
With the jalapeño reference point, you are talking on average 142 times hotter than a mild jalapeño. This makes chocolate habaneros one of the hottest peppers around, but still significantly milder than the jump up to the ghost pepper (starting at 855,000 SHU).

Are there different varieties of chocolate habaneros?
There are. Like most chili peppers, there are various strains around the world that are cultivated and sold. You’ll see lots of different names for these chilies: black Congo, dark habanero, Jamaican hot chocolate, black habanero, Senegal hot chocolate, and Cuban habanero just to name a few. These are all variations on the theme of chocolate habaneros. They share similar taste (with slight variations) and heat (again with slight variations).
The pods of chocolates tend to be slightly larger than your typical habanero pepper – about 2 inches in length. They start emerald-green and as they ripen they take on the unique dark brown color.

What do chocolate habaneros taste like?
These are still habaneros, so there’s a fruity sweetness behind the extreme heat. But unlike other hot peppers in the family, the chocolates bring a unique hint of earthiness and smokiness to the experience. They are an excellent chili for a Mexican mole sauce, or if you like rich salsa with an earthier taste, using chocolate habaneros is a great choice. Try pairing them with more pungent or earthier fruits in salsas like apricots and raisins.

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