Pepper is a little round berry from the pepper plant (Piper nigrum), which is a flowering vine with big, deeply veined leaves. It can grow in a pot or in the ground provided winter temperatures stay above freezing. To make those darling little berries into peppercorns, you start by briefly cooking green unripened berries in hot water to break down the cell walls, which will accelerate the drying process. As it dries, the fruit part of the berry shrivels around the seed giving it the peppercorn its dark, wrinkly appearance. To make white pepper, you let the berry soak in water for a week and the flesh of the berry decomposes, leaving only the white seed. Green peppercorns are similar to black peppercorns, except the unripe berries are made to stay green by chemicals or freeze drying.
The different colors of peppercorns have different flavors/aromas due to their different composition. The "heat" of pepper comes from a chemical called piperine which is found in both the seed and outer fruit, so both white and black peppercorns are hot. The heat factor of piperine is about 1% of capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili peppers their heat. The outer part of the berry contains a variety of terpene compounds that mostly contribute to the aroma of pepper. Thus, black pepper, which retains the outer dried berry flesh, has a more aromatic quality than white pepper. Green peppercorns taste more like black peppercorns, but with a supposedly "fresher" or "fruitier" flavor.
These flavor and aroma compounds are very sensitive to light and air, so once a peppercorn is ground, it will soon lose much of its heat and aroma. This is why pepper mills are often used at the time of cooking or consumption to get the most flavor out of the peppercorns.
Incidentally, bell peppers and chili peppers are not really related to "pepper" other than that they are all plants. Bell peppers were misleadingly called peppers by Columbus when he found them in the New World, because at that time pepper was a very expensive and highly valued spice.
Peppers don't have that spicy image for nothing. This vegetable is an excellent way to spice up otherwise bland dishes. Peppers come in a beautiful array of colors and shapes. They add flavor, color, and crunch to many low-calorie dishes.
All peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, but red peppers are simply bursting with them. Antioxidant vitamins A and C help to prevent cell damage, cancer, and diseases related to aging, and they support immune function. They also reduce inflammation like that found in arthritis and asthma. Vitamin K promotes proper blood clotting, strengthens bones, and helps protect cells from oxidative damage.
Whether mild or fiery, peppers are nutrient-dense. They're one of the richest sources of vitamins A and C. Just a cup a day can provide more than 100% of your daily needs.
Red peppers are a good source of the carotenoid called lycopene, which is earning a reputation for helping to prevent prostate cancer as well as cancer of the bladder, cervix, and pancreas. Beta-cryptoxanthin, another carotenoid in red peppers, is holding promise for helping to prevent lung cancer related to smoking and secondhand smoke.
Red bell peppers are a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, and the minerals molybdenum and manganese. And, they're especially rich in nutrients and phytochemicals such as:
Vitamin A, which may help preserve eyesight, and fend off infections
Vitamin C, which may lower cancer risk and protect against cataracts
Vitamin B6, which is vital for essential chemical reactions throughout the body, including those involving brain and immune function
Lutein and zeaxanthin, which may slow the development of eye diseases, such as cataracts or macular degeneration
Beta-carotene, which may help protect against certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer in women before menopause
Lycopene, which may decrease the risk for ovarian cancer
Besides being rich in phytochemicals, peppers provide a decent amount of fiber.
Hot peppers' fire
comes from capsaicin, which acts on pain receptors, not taste buds,
in our mouths. Capsaicin predominates in the white membranes of
peppers, imparting its "heat" to seeds as well. The
capsaicin in hot peppers has been shown to decrease blood cholesterol
and triglycerides, boost immunity, and reduce the risk of stomach
ulcers. It used to be thought that hot peppers aggravated ulcers.
Instead, they may help kill bacteria in the stomach that can lead to
ulcers.
Both hot and sweet peppers contain substances that
have been shown to increase the body's heat production and oxygen
consumption for about 20 minutes after eating. This is great news; it
means your body is burning extra calories, which helps weight loss.
Peppers have emerged as one of the indispensable seasonings. In fact, it is said that peppers comes second (after salt) among the world's most popular seasonings. Peppers are considered as a New World Food, which was introduced to the Europeans, by Christopher Columbus, after this voyage to the West Indies. The name peppers is derived from the Old World black pepper, as the new food resembled the latter in taste. Today, peppers are widely used for culinary purposes and the interesting fact is that they are available in many different types. Let us take a look at the different types of peppers for cooking.
Peppers can be basically divided into sweet and hot types. It is a common fact that while some pepper types are very hot, some others are moderately hot, but sweet peppers are juicy with a zero heat index. So, peppers can be classified as per their heat index. As per the rating system created by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, bhut jolokia has the highest rating of one million Scoville Heat Units (SHU) and the lowest rate of zero belongs to sweet peppers. The following is a types of peppers list, made on the basis of this classification method.
As mentioned above, the hottest pepper in the world is bhut jolokia or naga jolokia, which is found in Assam, Nagaland and nearby areas. Another very hot pepper is Red Savina pepper, which has a rating of 580,000 Scoville units. It is a cultivar of habanero chili pepper, which has the reputation of being one of the hottest peppers. Habanero is available in different colors like, green, red, yellow, etc., and are found to be having a maximum length of around three centimeters. Along with habanero pepper, there are many other types of hot peppers, like, Jamaican hot pepper, Guntur chili, scotch bonnet pepper, datil pepper, rocoto, etc. These are followed by Indian pepper, Thai pepper, Malagueta pepper, Chiltepin pepper, Pequin pepper, etc.
Another hot pepper that follows the above said ones (as per heat index) is serrano pepper, that comes in green color and has a length of around two inches. This is one of the types of peppers that has a rating of 10,000 to 23,000 on Scoville heat index. Cayenne pepper (30,000 to 50,000 SHU) is also widely used for culinary as well medicinal purposes. Due to their dark red color, the dried powder of cayenne pepper is also used for food coloring as well as seasoning. Tabasco pepper too comes with a heat rating that is similar to cayenne pepper. Others, like, Anaheim pepper, Poblano pepper, Rocotillo pepper, Peppadew, etc., have a mild heat and have a rating of 500 to 2,500 SHU.
As mentioned above, sweet peppers have the lowest heat index. As per the Scoville scale, bell peppers have a zero heat index and adorn the lowest position in the chart. Bell peppers comes in a variety of colors like, green, red, yellow, etc. Sometimes you may find bell peppers in white or even purple color. Almost all types of chili peppers and sweet peppers belong to the genus Capsicum in the family Solanaceae and the heat or burning sensation of chilies is due to the presence of the chemical called capsaicin. However, bell peppers are said to be the only member of this genus that does not produce capsaicin. Along with bell pepper, a South American Pepper variety, named ají dulce shares the zero heat position. While, bell pepper has the lowest rating of zero, pimento pepper or cherry pepper that is usually used as a filling in olives is said to have a slightly mild hot flavor. This pepper has a heat rating that ranges between 100 to 500 SHU. Another pepper with a slight heat is peperoncini, otherwise known as Tuscan pepper of golden Greek pepper.
Now, you have a basic idea about the different types of peppers. This is only an overview of the topic, as there are thousands of peppers types across the globe. You may also get some types of peppers to grow at your home.