Sciencesciencecomparisonhot-sauce

Extract Hot Sauce vs Whole-Pepper Hot Sauce

Two hot sauces can measure the same SHU and taste completely different. One has rounded, dynamic heat; the other is flat and one-dimensional. The difference is whether the capsaicin came from a whole pepper's five-capsaicinoid blend or from extracted, concentrated capsaicin.

Science Note

Extract-based sauces typically contain >90% capsaicin with minimal dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, or other capsaicinoids. Whole-pepper sauces contain the natural ratio (typically 40–70% capsaicin, 20–35% dihydrocapsaicin, and smaller amounts of the three minor capsaicinoids). The blend determines the heat character.