There's worldwide ratings, notably the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale|Scoville scale]], and then there's personal ones.
== The Sam Scale ==
Pithier title pending.
| # | Description | Examples |
| -- | ----------- | -------- |
| 0 | No perceptable spice | Water, plain white rice, country-club Butter Chicken
| 1 | Takes active attention to notice | Costco-brand Butter Chicken sauce
| 1.5 | | black pepper
| 2 | Easily notable but not uncomfortable | Canadian Pepperoni, Costco Tikka Masala
| 2.5 | | Royal Jamaican Ginger Beer
| 3 | Mildly uncomfortable but bearable | Kettle-brand Pepperoncini chips,
| 4 | Uncomfortable but offsetable by other factors | [[https://www.tostitos.com/products/tostitos-salsa-con-queso-2|Tostitos Salsa Con Queso]] ("Medium")
| 5 | Would not choose to eat, a challenge | That Butter Chicken @Nat20 made from scratch once
| 6 | Unbearable, impossible, could not eat