If you know Sean Evans' viral YouTube series "Hot Ones" (of course you do!), then you know that Rach SMASHED IT when she appeared on the show in 2016.
No, really, she made it all the way to the spiciest level!
(Granted, she didn't feel the greatest afterward, but she's a champ nonetheless. ? )
So, naturally, when Sean Evans visited our show recently, we had to turn the tables on him.
Let's just say we had the YouTube host try some *crazy* foods -- including silkworms and chicken feet -- and he rose to the occasion!
And because he was such a great sport, we gave him a little break when we met up with him backstage.
He sat down with our social media producer Matthew to convince skeptics that there ARE bearable peppers out there.
(They're not *all* flamin' hot, we promise! ?️ )
In fact, we learned that a pepper's ranking on the Scoville scale -- a measurement of heat in spicy foods -- only means so much.
(Spoiler alert: Sean ranks the sweet bell pepper higher than the cubanelle pepper, despite the cubanelle’s higher Scoville Scale ranking!)
"Peppers are all different," Sean stresses. "And they're going to hit you differently than maybe they hit me."
With that being said, behold Sean's ranking of the six ~mild ones~ he tasted -- from hottest to mildest!
No. 1: JALAPENO PEPPER
Sean's Take: "This one's kicking to me harder than the banana pepper."
Scoville Scale: 2,500 - 5,000
Fun Fact: Chipotles are actually smoked ripened jalapenos.
TRY IT IN THIS RECIPE: Jalapeno Roasted Chicken
No. 2: BANANA PEPPER
Sean's Take: "[It has] a little kick, but that's how you know you're alive. Don't be afraid of it!"
Scoville Scale: 0 - 500
Fun Fact: It's a great source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.
TRY IT IN THIS RECIPE: Chicken Pepperoni Skewers
No. 3: AJI DULCE PEPPER
Sean's Take: "It has that real, earthy pepper [taste] to it."
Scoville Scale: 0 - 1,000
Fun Fact: It's related to the habanero pepper, but has a sweet, smoky flavor.
TRY IT IN THIS RECIPE: Pastelon ("Puerto Rican Lasagna")
No. 4: POBLANO PEPPER
Sean's Take: "It has a little bit of a late creep, [but] it's manageable."
Scoville Scale: 1,000 - 2,000
Fun Fact: It's named after Puebla, Mexico, where it was first cultivated.
TRY IT IN THIS RECIPE: Tex-Mex Stuffed Poblanos with Manchego Sauce and Black Beans with Roasted Garlic
No. 5: SWEET BELL PEPPER
Sean's Take: "It's almost refreshing. It's like cucumber water at a nice hotel."
Scoville Scale: 0
Fun Fact: Male bell peppers have three bumps on the bottom, while females have four.
TRY IT IN THIS RECIPE: Stuffed Peppers
No. 6: CUBANELLE PEPPER
Sean's Take: "It was a ghost. I bit right through it, and I wouldn't even know."
Scoville Scale: 100 - 1,000
Fun Fact: It also goes by "Cuban pepper" and "Italian frying pepper."
TRY IT IN THIS RECIPE: Sausage, Peppers, Onions and Fennel Skillet
