Grossum cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493 and then spread through Europe is green pepper a fruit Asia. The mild bell pepper cultivar was developed in the 1920s, in Szeged, Hungary.
The name pepper was given by Europeans when Christopher Columbus brought the plant back to Europe. Piper nigrum originating from India, was a highly prized condiment. The most common colors of bell peppers are green, yellow, orange and red. Other colors include brown, white, lavender, and dark purple, depending on the variety. Most typically, unripe fruits are green or, less commonly, pale yellow or purple.
Red bell peppers are simply ripened green peppers, although the Permagreen variety maintains its green color even when fully ripe. Like the tomato, bell peppers are botanical fruits but culinary vegetables. Pieces of bell pepper are commonly used in garden salads and as toppings on pizza. The bell pepper is the only member of the genus Capsicum that does not produce capsaicin, a lipophilic chemical that can cause a strong burning sensation when it comes in contact with mucous membranes. Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
China is the world’s largest producer of bell and chili peppers, followed by Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, and the United States. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox”. Paprika: A Spicy Memoir from Hungary. Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, US Department of Agriculture. Vegetable of the Month: Bell Pepper”. University of the District of Columbia. Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health.
US Western Institute for Food Safety and Security. Ground, dried, and cooked peppercorns have been used since antiquity, both for flavour and as a traditional medicine. Black pepper is the world’s most traded spice, and is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. The word pepper derives from Old English pipor, Latin piper, and Sanskrit pippali for “long pepper”. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Processed peppercorns come in a variety of colours, any one of which may be used in food preparation, especially common peppercorn sauce.
Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupe of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. After the peppercorns are dried, pepper spirit and oil can be extracted from the berries by crushing them. Pepper spirit is used in many medicinal and beauty products. Pepper oil is also used as an ayurvedic massage oil and in certain beauty and herbal treatments. Ground white pepper is commonly used in Chinese, Thai, and Portuguese cuisines. Green pepper, like black pepper, is made from unripe drupes.
Dried green peppercorns are treated in a way that retains the green colour, such as with sulfur dioxide, canning, or freeze-drying. Fresh, unpreserved green pepper drupes are used in some cuisines like Thai cuisine and Tamil cuisine. Their flavour has been described as “spicy and fresh”, with a “bright aroma. They decay quickly if not dried or preserved, making them unsuitable for international shipping. Red peppercorns usually consists of ripe peppercorn drupes preserved in brine and vinegar.