Bell pepper

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Bell pepper

Red bell pepper and cross-section

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Asteridae
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Capsicum
Species:	C. annuum

Binomial name

Capsicum annuum
L.

For green peppercorns, see Black pepper.

Bell pepper is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Colors include red, yellow, green and orange. Bell peppers contain a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin in the fruit meaning that they have none of the "heat" that many other varieties of peppers have. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers".

1 Nomenclature
2 Varieties
3 Gallery
4 See also

[edit] Nomenclature

The term "bell pepper" is one of the many names for some fruits of the Capsicum annuum species of plants. The misleading name "pepper" (pimentón in Spanish, literally "big pepper") was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. Since at that time peppercorns were a highly prized condiment, Columbus hoped to capitalize on the lucrative market by the name change.^{[citation needed]}

Today, the term "bell pepper" or "green pepper" is used in the United States for any of the large bell shaped capsicum fruits, regardless of their color. In British English, the fruit is simply referred to as a "pepper", whereas in many Commonwealth of Nations countries, such as India, Malaysia and Australia, they are called "capsicum". Across Europe the name "paprika" is used, which also has its roots in the word for pepper. But this can also refer to the powdered spice paprika. In Canada the vegetable may be called simply a "pepper" or may be referred to by color (e.g. "red pepper", "purple pepper"), although the term "bell pepper" is also understood in most regions.

In parts of the U.S. around southern Ohio and northern Kentucky the term "mangoes" (or "mangos") have been used, but as the unrelated tropical fruit has become more common place in those parts this usage is becoming less common.

In Russia it is commonly called болгарский перец (bolgarskiy perets), meaning Bulgarian pepper. In France, it is called poivron, with the same root as poivre (meaning black pepper).

[edit] Varieties


Heat : Mild (SR: 0)

Pepper, sweet, green raw
Nutritional value per 100 g

Energy 20 kcal 80 kJ

Carbohydrates	4.64 g
- Sugars 2.40 g
- Dietary fiber 1.7 g
Fat	0.17 g
Protein	0.86 g
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.057 mg	4%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.028 mg	2%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.480 mg	3%
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.099 mg	2%
Vitamin B6 0.224 mg	17%
Folate (Vit. B9) 10 μg	3%
Vitamin C 80.4 mg	134%
Calcium 10 mg	1%
Iron 0.34 mg	3%
Magnesium 10 mg	3%
Phosphorus 20 mg	3%
Potassium 175 mg	4%
Zinc 0.13 mg	1%

Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database

The color can be green, red, yellow, orange and, more rarely, white, purple, blue, and brown, depending on when they are harvested. Green peppers are unripe bell peppers, while the others are all ripe, with the color variation based on cultivar selection. Because they are unripe, green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than yellow, orange, or red peppers. The taste of ripe peppers can also vary with growing conditions and post-harvest storage treatment; the sweetest are fruit allowed to ripen fully on the plant in full sunshine, while fruit harvested green and after-ripened in storage are less sweet. Peppers are native to Central and South America. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European and Asian countries.