Chilli Heat
There are hundreds of varieties of chilli plants and their heat level varies dramatically.
Some are very mild and you would hardly know they were a chilli and some are unbelievably hot. The level of heat in a chilli is measured in scoville units. The higher the level the hotter the chilli. Most of the heat is contained in the white area which connects the seeds to the flesh. The compound which causes the heat is called capsaicin.
The Scoville Scale
This list below gives an idea of the heat levels of some more common chillies.
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0-100 Scoville Units = Bell Peppers
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2500 - 5000 Scoville Units = Jalapeno
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5000 - 15000 Scoville Units = Serrano
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30000 - 50000 Scoville Units = Cayenne & Tabasco
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100,000 - 350,000 Scoville Units = Scotch Bonnet & Thai Chillies
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200,000 - 300,000 Scoville Units = Habanero
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Pure Capsaicin is around 16 million Scoville units