Bell pepper

Red, yellow and green bell peppers. In some countries these three different-colored peppers are sold in packs of three and are known as "traffic light peppers".

Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper (in the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland) and capsicum /ˈkæpsɨkəm/^[1] (in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand), is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum.^[2] Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, chocolate/brown, vanilla/white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers." Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. The ribs and seeds inside bell peppers may be consumed, but some find the taste to be bitter.^[3] Pepper seeds were carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European, African and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer, followed by Mexico and Indonesia.

Ideal growing conditions for bell peppers include warm soil, ideally 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F), that is kept moist but not waterlogged.^[4] Bell peppers are sensitive to an abundance of moisture and excessive temperatures.

Nomenclature

The misleading name "pepper" was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. At that time, peppercorns, the fruit of an unrelated plant originating from India, Piper nigrum, was a highly prized condiment; the name "pepper" was at that time applied in Europe to all known spices with a hot and pungent taste and so naturally extended to the newly discovered Capsicum genus. The most commonly used alternative name of the plant family, "chile", is of Mexican origin, from the Nahuatl word chilli or xilli. Bell peppers are botanically fruits, but are generally considered in culinary contexts to be vegetables.

While the bell pepper is a member of the Capsicum genus, it is the only Capsicum that does not produce capsaicin,^[5] a lipophilic chemical that can cause a strong burning sensation when it comes in contact with mucous membranes. (An exception to this is the hybrid variety Mexibelle, which does contain a moderate level of capsaicin, and is therefore somewhat hot). The lack of capsaicin in bell peppers is due to a recessive form of a gene that eliminates capsaicin and, consequently, the "hot" taste usually associated with the rest of the Capsicum genus.^[6]

The terms "bell pepper", "pepper" or in India, Australia and New Zealand "capsicum", are often used for any of the large bell shaped fruits, regardless of their color. In British and Canadian English, the fruit is simply referred to as a "pepper", or additionally by color (as in the term "green pepper", for example), whereas in the United States and Malaysia, they are usually referred to as "bell peppers". Canadian English uses both "bell pepper" and "pepper" interchangeably. In some countries in Europe, the term "paprika", which has its roots in the word for pepper, is used – sometimes referred to by their color (e.g., "groene paprika", "gele paprika", in Dutch, which are green and yellow, respectively). The bell pepper is called "パプリカ" (papurika) in Japan. Paprika also refers to the powdered spice made from the fruits in the Capsicum genus.^[7] In Switzerland it is mostly called "peperoni", which is the Italian name of the fruit. In France, it is called "poivron", with the same root as "poivre" (meaning "pepper"), or "piment". In Korea, the word "피망" (pimang from the Japanese "ピーマン" (piiman)) refers to green bell peppers, whereas "파프리카" (papurika from paprika) refers to bell peppers of other colors. In Sri Lanka it is called "Maalu Miris", used as a vegetable instead of a spice.

Colors

Peppers in five colors

Most often bell peppers are green, yellow, orange, and red (between stages of ripening). More rarely, color can be brown, white, lavender and dark purple, depending on the variety of pepper. Most typically, unripe fruit are green or, less commonly, pale yellow or purple. Red bell peppers are simply ripened green peppers,^[8] although the Permagreen variety maintains its green color even when fully ripe. Green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than yellow or orange peppers, with red bell peppers being the sweetest. The taste of ripe peppers can also vary with growing conditions and post-harvest storage treatment; the sweetest fruit are allowed to ripen fully on the plant in full sunshine, while fruit harvested green and after-ripened in storage are less sweet.

Nutritional value

Capsicum peppers are rich sources of antioxidants and vitamin C. Compared to green peppers, red peppers have more vitamins and nutrients.^[2] The level of carotene, like lycopene, is nine times higher in red peppers. Red peppers have twice the vitamin C content of green peppers.^[2]

Red and green bell peppers are high in para-coumaric acid.

The characteristic aroma of green peppers is caused by 3-isoButyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP). Its detection threshold in water is estimated to be 2 ng/L.^[9] The same chemical is responsible for characteristic Cabernet Sauvignon green note.

Production

Bell and Chile pepper production (metric tons)^[10]

Country	2004	2005	2006	2007
People's Republic of China	12,031,031	12,530,180	13,031,000	14,033,000
Mexico	1,431,258	1,617,264	1,681,277	1,690,000
Indonesia	1,100,514	1,058,023	1,100,000	1,100,000
Turkey	1,700,000	1,829,000	1,842,175	1,090,921
Spain	1,077,025	1,063,501	1,074,100	1,065,000
United States	978,890	959,070	998,210	855,870
Nigeria	720,000	721,000	721,500	723,000
Egypt	467,433	460,000	470,000	475,000
Korea, South	410,281	395,293	352,966	345,000
Netherlands	318,000	345,000	318,000	340,000
Romania	237,240	203,751	279,126	280,000
Ghana	270,000	270,000	277,000	279,000
Italy	362,430	362,994	345,152	252,194
Tunisia	255,000	256,000	256,000	250,000
Algeria	265,307	248,614	275,888	233,000
Hungary	126,133	113,371	206,419	207,000
Morocco	182,340	190,480	235,570	192,000
Serbia*	159,741	167,477	177,255	150,257
Japan	153,400	154,000	146,900	150,000
Israel	129,100	134,700	150,677	136,000
World	24,587,124	25,261,259	26,252,907	26,056,900

• Note: Serbia before 2006 incl. Montenegro

Gallery

• 

  Orange bell pepper

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  A variety of colored bell peppers

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  A whole and halved red bell pepper

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  A whole purple pepper

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  Red bell peppers

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  Japanese green pepper

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  Green, yellow and red peppers

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  Quadrato d'Asti Giallo bell pepper flower

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  Secondary fruit growing inside a capsicum annuum

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  Red bell pepper as decoration

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  Yellow bell pepper plant

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  Green bell pepper plant

See also

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Bell Pepper

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bell pepper.

• List of Capsicum cultivars
• Paprika
• Scoville scale
• Stuffed peppers

References

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