Bell pepper

Thebell pepper(also known assweet pepper,pepper,capsicum/ˈkæpsɪkəm/or, in some parts of theUS midwest,mango) is the fruit of plants in the GrossumGroupof the speciesCapsicum annuum.Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, chocolate, candy cane striped, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungentchilivarieties as "sweet peppers". While they arebotanicallyfruits—classified asberries—they are commonly used as avegetableingredient orside dish. Other varieties of the genusCapsicumare categorized aschili pepperswhen they are cultivated for theirpungency, including some varieties ofCapsicum annuum.
Peppers are native toMexico,Central America, theCaribbeanand northernSouth America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493 and then spread through Europe and Asia.  Preferred growing conditions for bell peppers include warm, moist soil in a temperature range of 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F).
The namepepperwas given by Europeans whenChristopher Columbusbrought the plant back to Europe. At that time,black pepper(peppercorns), from the unrelated plantPiper nigrumoriginating from India, was a highly prized condiment. The namepepperwas applied in Europe to all known spices with a hot andpungenttaste and was therefore extended to genusCapsicumwhen it was introduced from the Americas. The most commonly used name of the plant familychileis of Mexican origin, from theNahuatlwordchilli.
The termsbell pepper(US, Canada, Philippines),pepperorsweet pepper(UK, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe), andcapsicum(Australia, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) are often used for any of the large bell-shaped peppers, regardless of their color. The fruit is simply referred to as a "pepper", or additionally by color ("green pepper" or red, yellow, orange, purple, brown, black).In theMidlandregion of the U.S., bell peppers, either fresh or when stuffed and pickled, are sometimes calledmangoes.
In some languages, the termpaprika, which has its roots in the word for pepper, is used for both thespiceand the fruit – sometimes referred to by their color (for examplegroene paprika,gele paprika, in Dutch, which are green and yellow, respectively). The bell pepper is called "パプリカ" (papurika) or "ピーマン" (pīman, from Frenchpimentpronounced with a silent 't') in Japan.In Switzerland, the fruit is mostly calledpeperone, which is the Italian name of the fruit. In France, it is calledpoivron, with the same root aspoivre(meaning "pepper") orpiment. In Spain it is calledpimiento morrón, the masculine form of the traditional spice,pimientaand "morrón" (snouted) referring to its general shape. In South Korea, the word "피망" (pimangfrom the Frenchpiment) refers to green bell peppers, whereas "파프리카" (papeurika, frompaprika) refers to bell peppers of other colors. In Sri Lanka, both the bell pepper and thebanana pepperare referred to as a "capsicum" since the bell pepper has no Sinhalese translation. In Argentina and Chile, it is called "morrón".
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 thePermagreenvariety maintains its green color even when fully ripe. Therefore, mixed colored peppers also exist during parts of the ripening process.
Like thetomato, bell peppers are botanicalfruitsand culinaryvegetables. Pieces of bell pepper are commonly used in gardensaladsand as toppings onpizza. There are many varieties ofstuffed peppersprepared using hollowed or halved bell peppers. Bell peppers (andother cultivarsofCapsicum annuum) may be used in the production of the spicepaprika.
A raw red bell pepper is 94% water, 5%carbohydrates, 1%protein, and contains negligiblefat. A 100 gram (3.5 ounce) reference amount supplies 26calories, and is a rich source ofvitamin C– containing 158% of theDaily Value(DV) –vitamin A(20%), andvitamin B6(23% DV), with moderate contents ofriboflavin(12%),folate(12% DV), andvitamin E(11% DV). A red bell pepper supplies twice the vitamin C and eight times the vitamin A content of a green bell pepper.
The bell pepper is the only member of the genusCapsicumthat does not producecapsaicin, alipophilicchemical that can cause a strong burning sensation when it comes in contact withmucous membranes. Bell peppers are thus scored in the lowest level of theScoville scale, meaning that they are not spicy. This absence of capsaicin is due to a recessive form of a gene that eliminates the compound and, consequently, the "hot" taste usually associated with the rest of the genusCapsicum. This recessive gene is overwritten in the Mexibelle pepper, a hybrid variety of bell pepper that produces small amounts of capsaicin (and is thus mildly pungent). Conversely, a mutant strain of habanero has been bred to create a heatless version called the 'Habanada'. Sweet pepper cultivars producenon-pungent capsaicinoids.
In 2020, global production of bell peppers was 36 milliontonnes, led byChinawith 46% of the total, and secondary production byMexico,Indonesia, andTurkey.TheUnited Statesranks 5th in total production, as it produces approximately 1.6 billion pounds annually.