A recent study by Mintel revealed that some three-quarters of consumers “enjoy spicy foods to some degree,” and nearly a third felt that, “when it comes to spicy, the hotter the better.”

Nashville hot chicken, fire wings, ghost pepper tortilla chips—spicy foods and the ingredients that make them are continuing their long-growing rise in popularity, ramping up the heat level along the way. Even beverages are getting into that ring of fire: Campbell Co.s’ V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice is just one example.

TRENDPATH

Source: Pepperhead.com

500,000 SHU

Red Savina Habanero:

Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia):

1.0 million SHU

Naga Viper:

1.35 million SHU

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T:

1.45 million SHU

7-Pot Primo:

1.5 million SHU

7-Pot Douglah:

1.85 million SHU

2.0 million SHU

Trinidad Scorpion:

2.2 million SHU

Carolina Reaper:

8

Hottest Peppers You Can Buy Commercially

HOW MUCH? Based on statistics from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, US consumption of chili peppers is approaching a sizzling 9-10lb per year. Total domestic chili pepper production is close to 5 million pounds, at a value of more than $100 million.