Bell pepper

Bell pepper cut apart.

Bell pepper
A variety of colored bell peppers
File:Greenpeppers.jpg
Green peppers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Asteridae
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Capsicum
Species:	C. annuum
Binomial name
Capsicum annuum L.

Bell pepper
Heat	Mild (SR: 0)

For green peppercorns, see Black pepper.

Bell pepper is a Cultivar Group of the species Capsicum annuum, as are the jalapeño and pimento. The bell pepper refers to the actual fruit of the capsicum plant. Outside of the United States bell peppers are commonly called paprika in areas such as Scandinavia, Hungary and Indonesia; Piman in Japan; capsicum in India, Malaysia and Australia; and mangoes[1] (or mangos) in parts of the US around southern Ohio, Indiana, and northern Kentucky (and should not be confused with the tropical fruit known properly as a mango). 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). Bell peppers contain a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin in the fruit.

The color can be green, red, yellow, orange and, more rarely, white, purple and brown depending on when they are harvested. Green peppers are unripe bell peppers, while the others are all ripe, with the color variation due to cultivar selection. Because they are unripe, green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than yellow, orange, or red peppers, which all taste similar. 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 were grown in Central and South America in pre-Columbian times. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European and Asian countries.

Per 100g, has about 140mg of Vitamin C.

Nutritional value

Red bell pepper, raw (edible parts)

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	111 kJ (27 kcal)
Carbohydrates	6 g
Sugars	4 g
Dietary fiber	2 g
Fat	0.3 g
Protein	1 g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Vitamin C	211% 190 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	92 g
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

See also: List of chili pepper cultivars