Some men achieve immortality without really striving for it.
Such was the case of Dr. Wilbur Scoville, a chemist working for the Parke Davis company. In 1912, Dr. Wilbur devised his Scoville Organoleptic Test, a method of determining the heat in hot peppers. In that simple, yet elegant process, he carved his name in the Great Recipe Book for all times. Dr. Wilbur's process provides a way to measure the 'heat' of the pepper by essentially measuring how much capsaicin it has. Thanks to his efforts, the name of Dr. Wilbur remains on the tongue of every chilehead, as we boast about our latest foray into the Scoville zone.