Pepperoncini peppers and banana peppers are pretty easy to confuse. Their similarities in color, size, and spice were enough to have us wondering what exactly the difference is between these two spicy fruits, but once question remains: Which one is spicier?
While the two are extremely close in heat levels, pepperoncini peppers usually pull ahead by a very small amount. The two are examples of mild peppers (which fall between 100 to 2,500 SHU, or Scoville Heat Units), with pepperoncinis boasting an average of 100 to 500 SHU compared to banana peppers’ 0 to 500 SHU. Based on their SHU ranges, the spiciest of each pepper would be at very similar levels of spice. But considering that the current reigning world’s hottest pepper ranks at over 2.6 million SHU, it is safe to say that a banana pepper brine on a martini will not leave consumers gasping for water.
Pepperoncini vs banana: How can I eat them?
Despite the fact that they are far spicier than an actual banana, banana peppers similarly make a delicious snack. They can be prepared in a plethora of ways, often found pickled at grocery stores and ready to eat once plucked from a garden. Pepperoncini peppers are also enjoyed raw or pickled, and the two types of peppers are often used interchangeably on iconic recipes like the Italian sub.
While, as mentioned before, they are very similar in levels of spice, pepperoncinis famously have a more tangy taste, which causes mild pepper fans to lean towards banana peppers when one of the peppers appears in a recipe. However, it all comes down to the taste buds of the chef. While pepperoncini peppers and banana peppers do have many distinguishing factors, they share many qualities that make them the perfect substitute for the other in particular recipes.
