Capsicum /kpskm/[3] (commonly known as peppers or bell peppers) is a genus of flowering

plants in the nightshadefamily Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas, where they have
been cultivated for thousands of years. In modern times, it is cultivated worldwide, and has become
a key element in many regional cuisines. In addition to use as spices and food
vegetables, Capsicum species have also found use in medicines.
The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type.
The piquant (spicy) varieties are commonly called chili peppers, or simply "chilies". The large, mild
form is called red pepper, green pepper, or bell pepper in North America and typically just
"capsicum" in New Zealand,[4] Australia, and India. The fruit is called paprika in some other countries
(although paprika can also refer to the powdered spice made from various capsicum fruit).
The generic name is derived from the Greek word (kapto), meaning "to bite" or "to
swallow".[5] The name "pepper" came into use because of their similar flavour to the condiment black
pepper, Piper nigrum, although there is no botanical relationship with this plant, or with Sichuan
pepper. The original Mexican term, chilli (now chile in Mexico) came from
theNahuatl word chilli or xilli, referring to a larger Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC,
as evidenced by remains found in pottery from Puebla and Oaxaca.[6]
Contents
[hide]

1 Capsaicin in capsicum
2 Cuisine
3 Species and varieties
o 3.1 Species list[32][33]
o 3.2 Formerly placed here
o 3.3 Genetics
o 3.4 Breeding
o 3.5 GRAS[35]
4 Synonyms and common names
5 Pictures of Capsicum cultivars
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Capsaicin in capsicum[edit]
For more details on this topic, see Capsaicin.
The fruit of most species of Capsicum contains capsaicin (methyl vanillyl nonenamide),
a lipophilic chemical that can produce a strong burning sensation (pungencyor spiciness) in the
mouth of the unaccustomed eater. Most mammals find this unpleasant, whereas birds are

unaffected.[7][8] The secretion of capsaicin protects the fruit from consumption

by insects[9] and mammals, while the bright colours attract birds that will disperse the seeds.
Capsaicin is present in large quantities in the placental tissue (which holds the seeds), the internal
membranes, and to a lesser extent, the other fleshy parts of the fruits of plants in this genus. The
seeds themselves do not produce any capsaicin, although the highest concentration of capsaicin
can be found in the white pitharound the seeds.[10]
The amount of capsaicin in the fruit is highly variable and dependent on genetics and environment,
giving almost all types of Capsicum varied amounts of perceived heat. The most
recognizable Capsicum without capsaicin is the bell pepper,[11] a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, which
has a zero rating on the Scoville scale. The lack of capsaicin in bell peppers is due to
a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin and, consequently, the "hot" taste usually associated with
the rest of the Capsicumfamily.[12] There are also other peppers without capsaicin, mostly within
the Capsicum annuum species, such as the cultivars Giant Marconi,[13] Yummy Sweets,[14]Jimmy
Nardello,[15] and Italian Frying peppers.[16]
Chili peppers are of great importance in Native American medicine, and capsaicin is used in modern
medicinemainly in topical medicationsas a circulatorystimulant and analgesic. In more recent
times, an aerosol extract of capsaicin, usually known as capsicum or pepper spray, has become
widely used by police forces as a nonlethal means of incapacitating a person, and in a more widely
dispersed form for riot control, or by individuals for personal defense. Pepper in vegetable oils, or as
an horticultural product[17] can be used in gardening as a natural insecticide.
Although black pepper causes a similar burning sensation, it is caused by a different substance
piperine.

Cuisine[edit]

Chili peppers

Capsicum fruits and peppers can be eaten raw or cooked. Those used in cooking are generally
varieties of the C. annuum andC. frutescens species, though a few others are used, as well. They
are suitable for stuffing with fillings such as cheese, meat, or rice.

They are also frequently used both chopped and raw in salads, or cooked in stir-fries or other mixed
dishes. They can be sliced into strips and fried, roasted whole or in pieces, or chopped and
incorporated into salsas or other sauces, of which they are often a main ingredient.
They can be preserved in the form of a jam,[18] or by drying, pickling, or freezing. Dried peppers may
be reconstituted whole, or processed into flakes or powders. Pickled or marinated peppers are
frequently added to sandwiches or salads. Frozen peppers are used in stews, soups, and salsas.
Extracts can be made and incorporated into hot sauces.
The Spanish conquistadores soon became aware of their culinary properties, and brought them back
to Europe, together with cocoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, maize, beans, and turkeys. They
also brought it to the Spanish Philippines colonies, whence it spread to Asia. The Portuguese
brought them to their African and Asiatic possessions such as India.
All the varieties were appreciated, but the hot ones are particularly appreciated because they can
enliven otherwise monotonous diets. This was of some importance during dietary restrictions for
religious reasons, such as Lent in Christian countries.[citation needed]
Spanish cuisine soon benefited from the discovery of chiles in the New World, and it would be very
difficult to untangle Spanish cooking from chiles, garlic, and olive oil. Ground chiles, or paprika, hot
or otherwise, are a key ingredient in chorizo, which is then called picante (if hot chile is added) or
dulce (if otherwise). Paprika is also an important ingredient in rice dishes, and plays a definitive role
in squid Galician style (polbo feira). Chopped chiles are used in fish or lamb dishes such
asajoarriero or chilindrn. Pisto is a vegetarian stew with chilies and zucchini as main ingredients.
They can also be added, finely chopped, to gazpacho as a garnish. In some regions, bacon is salted
and dusted in paprika for preservation. Cheese can also be rubbed with paprika to lend it flavour and
colour. Dried round chiles called oras are used for arroz a banda.

Crushed red pepper

According to Richard Pankhurst, C. frutescens (known as barbar) was so important to the national
cuisine of Ethiopia, at least as early as the 19th century, "that it was cultivated extensively in the
warmer areas wherever the soil was suitable." Although it was grown in every province, barbar was
especially extensive in Yejju, "which supplied much of Showa, as well as other neighbouring

provinces." He mentions the upper Golima River valley as being almost entirely devoted to the
cultivation of this plant, where it was harvested year round.[19]
In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the pepper to be Britain's fourth-favourite culinary
vegetable.[20]
In Hungary, sweet yellow peppers along with tomatoes are the main ingredient of lecs.
In Bulgaria, South Serbia, and Macedonia, peppers are very popular, too. They can be eaten in
salads, like shopska salata; fried and then covered with a dip of tomato paste, onions, garlic, and
parsley; or stuffed with a variety of products, such as minced meat and rice, beans, or cottage
cheese and eggs. Peppers are also the main ingredient in the traditional tomato and pepper
dip lyutenitsa and ajvar. They are in the base of different kinds of pickled vegetables
dishes, turshiya.
Peppers are also used widely in Italian cuisine, and the hot species are used all around the southern
part of Italy as a common spice (sometimes served with olive oil). Capsicum peppers are used in
many dishes; they can be cooked by themselves in a variety of ways (roasted, fried, deep-fried) and
are a fundamental ingredient for some delicatessen specialities, such as nduja.
Capsicums are also used extensively in Sri Lankan cuisine as side dishes.[21]
The Maya and Aztec people of Mesoamerica used Capsicum fruit in cocoa drinks as a flavouring.[22]

Species and varieties[edit]

Red peppers in Cachi (Argentina) air-dried before being processed into powder

An arrangement of jalapeo,banana, cayenne, chili, and habaneropeppers

Main article: List of Capsicum cultivars

Capsicum consists of 2027 species,[23] five of which are domesticated: C. annuum, C. baccatum, C.
chinense, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens.[24] Phylogenetic relationships between species were
investigated using biogeographical,[25]morphological,[26] chemosystematic,[27] hybridization,[28] and
genetic[23] data. Fruits of Capsicum can vary tremendously in color, shape, and size both between
and within species, which has led to confusion over the relationships between
taxa.[29]Chemosystematic studies helped distinguish the difference between varieties and species.
For example, C. baccatum var.baccatum had the same flavonoids as C. baccatum var. pendulum,
which led researchers to believe the two groups belonged to the same species.[27]
Many varieties of the same species can be used in many different ways; for example, C.
annuum includes the "bell pepper" variety, which is sold in both its immature green state and its red,
yellow, or orange ripe state. This same species has other varieties, as well, such as the Anaheim
chiles often used for stuffing, the dried ancho chile used to make chili powder, the mild-tohot jalapeo, and the smoked, ripe jalapeo, known as chipotle.
Most of the capsaicin in a pungent (hot) pepper is concentrated in blisters on the epidermis of the
interior ribs (septa) that divide the chambers of the fruit to which the seeds are attached.[30] A study
on capsaicin production in fruits of C. chinenseshowed that capsaicinoids are produced only in the
epidermal cells of the interlocular septa of pungent fruits, that blister formation only occurs as a
result of capsaicinoid accumulation, and that pungency and blister formation are controlled by a
single locus, Pun1, for which there exist at least two recessive alleles that result in non-pungency
of C. chinense fruits.[31]
The amount of capsaicin in hot peppers varies significantly between varieties, and is measured
in Scoville heat units (SHU). The world's current hottest known pepper as rated in SHU is the
'Carolina Reaper' which had been measured at over 2,200,000 SHU.

Species list[32][33][edit]

Capsicum annuum L.
Capsicum baccatum L.
Capsicum buforum Hunz.
Capsicum campylopodium Sendtn.
Capsicum cardenasii Heiser & P. G. Sm.
Capsicum ceratocalyx M.Nee
Capsicum chacoense Hunz.
Capsicum chinense Jacq.
Capsicum coccineum (Rusby) Hunz.
Capsicum cornutum (Hiern) Hunz.
Capsicum dimorphum (Miers) Kuntze

Capsicum dusenii Bitter

Capsicum eximium Hunz.
Capsicum flexuosum Sendtn.
Capsicum friburgense Bianch. & Barboza
Capsicum frutescens L.
Capsicum galapagoense Hunz.
Capsicum geminifolium (Dammer) Hunz.
Capsicum havanense Kunth
Capsicum hookerianum (Miers) Kuntze
Capsicum hunzikerianum Barboza & Bianch.
Capsicum lanceolatum (Greenm.) C.V.Morton & Standl.
Capsicum leptopodum (Dunal) Kuntze
Capsicum lycianthoides Bitter
Capsicum minutiflorum (Rusby) Hunz.
Capsicum mirabile Mart. ex Sendtn.
Capsicum mositicum Toledo
Capsicum parvifolium Sendtn.
Capsicum pereirae Barboza & Bianch.
Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pav.
Capsicum ramosissimum Witasek
Capsicum recurvatum Witasek
Capsicum rhomboideum (Dunal) Kuntze
Capsicum schottianum Sendtn.
Capsicum scolnikianum Hunz.
Capsicum spina-alba (Dunal) Kuntze
Capsicum stramoniifolium (Kunth) Standl.
Capsicum tovarii Eshbaugh et al.
Capsicum villosum Sendtn.

Formerly placed here[edit]

Tubocapsicum anomalum (Franch. & Sav.) Makino (as C. anomalum Franch. & Sav.)

Vassobia fasciculata (Miers) Hunz. (as C. grandiflorum Kuntze)

Witheringia stramoniifolia Kunth (as C. stramoniifolium (Kunth) Kuntze)[2]

Genetics[edit]
Most Capsicum species are 2n=24. A few of the nondomesticated species are 2n=32.[34]

Breeding[edit]
Several breeding programs are being conducted by corporations and universities. New Mexico State
University has released several varieties in the last few years. Cornell has worked to develop
regionally adapted varieties. Many types of peppers have been bred for heat, size, and yield.

GRAS[35][edit]
Only Capsicum frutescens L. and Capsicum annuum L. are in the GRAS.[36]

Synonyms and common names[edit]

Capsicum annuum cultivars

The name given to the Capsicum fruits varies between English-speaking countries.
In Australia, New Zealand, and India, heatless varieties are called "capsicums", while hot ones are
called "chilli"/"chillies" (double L). Pepperoncini are also known as "sweet capsicum". The term "bell
peppers" is almost never used, although C. annuum and other varieties which have a bell shape and
are fairly hot, are often called "bell chillies".
In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the heatless varieties are commonly known simply as "peppers"
(or more specifically "green peppers", "red peppers", etc.), while the hot ones are "chilli"/"chillies"
(double L) or "chilli peppers".
In the United States and Canada, the common heatless varieties are referred to as "bell peppers",
"sweet peppers", "red/green/etc. peppers", or simply "peppers", additionally in Indiana they may be
referred to as "mangoes/mango peppers", while the hot varieties are collectively called
"chile"/"chiles", "chili"/"chilies", or "chili"/"chile peppers" (one L only), "hot peppers", or named as a
specific variety (e.g., banana pepper).
In Polish and in Hungarian, the term papryka and paprika (respectively) is used for all kinds of
capsicums (the sweet vegetable, and the hot spicy), as well as for dried and ground spice made
from them (named paprika in both U.S. English and Commonwealth English). Also, fruit and spice
can be attributed as papryka ostra(hot pepper) or papryka sodka (sweet pepper). The
term pieprz (pepper) instead means only grains or ground black pepper (incl. the green, white, and
red forms), but not capsicum. Sometimes, the hot capsicum spice is also called chilli.
In Italy and the Italian- and German-speaking parts of Switzerland, the sweet varieties are
called peperone and the hot varieties peperoncino (literally "small pepper"). In Germany, the
heatless varieties as well as the spice are called Paprika while the hot types are primarily
called Peperoni or Chili while in Austria,Pfefferoni is more common for these; in Dutch, this word is
also used exclusively for bell peppers, whereas chilli is reserved for powders, and hot pepper
variants are referred to as Spaanse pepers (Spanish peppers). In Switzerland, though, the
condiment powder made from capsicum is called Paprika (German language regions)
and paprica (French and Italian language region). In French, capsicum is called poivron.

In Spanish-speaking countries, many different names are used for the varieties and preparations.
In Mexico, the term chile is used for "hot peppers", while the heatless varieties are
called pimiento (the masculine form of the word for pepper, which is pimienta). Several other
countries, such as Chile, whose name is unrelated, Per, Puerto Rico, and Argentina, use aj. In
Spain, heatless varieties are called pimiento and hot varieties guindilla. Also, in Argentina and Spain,
the variety C. chacoense is commonly known as "putapari", a slang expression equivalent to "damn
it", probably due to its extra-hot flavour. In Indian English, the word "capsicum" is used exclusively
for Capsicum annuum. All other varieties of hot capsicum are called chilli. In northern India and
Pakistan, C. annuum is also commonly called shimla mirch in the local language and as "Kodai
Mozhagai" in Tamil which roughly translates to "umbrella chilli" due to its appearance. Shimla,
incidentally, is a popular hill-station in India (and mirch means chilli in local languages).
In Japanese, tgarashi (, "Chinese mustard") refers to hot chili peppers, and
particularly a spicy powder made from them which is used as a condiment, while bell peppers are
called pman (, from the French piment or the Spanish pimiento).

Pictures of Capsicum cultivars[edit]

C. annuum cultivars

A variety of colouredCapsicum

Peperoncini (C. annuum)

Peperoncini in kebab restaurant

Cayenne pepper (C. annuum)

Compact plant of orangeCapsicum

Habanero chili (C. chinense Jacquin)- plant with flower and fruit

Scotch bonnet (C. chinense) in a Caribbean market

Scotch bonnet

Thai peppers (C. annuum)

Fresh Indian green chillies in Bangalore market

Piri piri (C. frutescens'African Devil')

Naga jolokia pepper (bhut jolokia) (C. chinense x C. frutescens)

C. annuum flower

C. annum flower close up

Green, yellow, and red peppers

The flower of red hotbangi pepper, Malaysia

A small but very hotCapsicum in Malaysia

Dried and crunchyCapsicum fromBasilicata

See also[edit]

List of Capsicum cultivars

Pimento

Scoville scale

References[edit]
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35. Jump up^ GRAS FDA
36. Jump up^ [1]