Capsicum L.
EOL Text
Capsicum, the peppers, is a genus of around 20 species of perennial herbaceous plants in the Solanaceae (nightshade family), which originated in Central and South America and the Caribbean and was domesticated over 5,000 years ago. Two species, C. annuum and C. frutescens, have been developed into numerous varieties that are now cultivated around the world for sweet and hot varieties of green and red bell peppers and chili peppers, that in dried form are one of the world’s most widely used spices.
Capsicum cultivars include regionally developed varieties including the paprika and pimento peppers (varieties of C. annuum), used in the Mediterranean (and typical of Hungarian goulash), and various spicy peppers, including cayenne, jalapenos, ancho (poblano), and numerous others (varieties of C. annuum and C. frutescens) used in Mexican, Indian, and Asian cooking. Lesser known species are cultivated or grow wild in the Andes, including C. pubescens (rocoto), C. baccatum (Andean ají), and C. cardenasii and C. eximium (ulupicas).
Capsicum plants, which are perennial but often cultivated as annuals in temperate climates, are many-branched plants, often shrubby in appearance (although not true shrubs because they are not woody), with simple, alternate, oval to elliptical leaves with smooth margins (entire). The flowers, which are borne singly or in small clusters in the axils (where leaves join stems) are campanulate (bell-shaped), white or greenish, often with 5 lobes, containing 5 bluish stamens. The fruits are many-seeded berries--pod-like, but with no sutures—that vary considerably in size and shape, ripening to green, yellow, orange, red, or purple.
Peppers, which are high in vitamins A and C are used fresh, cooked, or dried in an enormous variety of dishes characteristic of different regional cuisines. For example, paprika and pimiento peppers are used in the Mediterranean dishes, including dishes such as the Italian caponata (a salad prepared from cooked eggplant and peppers), the French ratatouille (an eggplant and pepper dish), Spanish gazpacho (a soup of blended fresh tomatos and peppers), and Hungarian goulash (a meat stew seasoned with paprika). Numerous varieties of spicy peppers, including cayenne, jalapenos, ancho (poblano), are used in Mexican, Indian, and Asian cooking.
Capsicum annuum and other Capisicum species produce capsaicin, an intense skin and eye irritant, that is used in pepper sprays sold for self-defense. However, capsaicin also has numerous medical uses, including topical pain relief for muscle soreness, shingles, skin irritations, and rheumatism, and as an anti-inflammatory. Recent medical research has also documented capsaicin’s antimicrobial and antifungal activity, and on-going studies are exploring its use in cancer treatment.
Although known as peppers, Capsicum species are not related to the spice known as black pepper (Piper nigrum, in the Piperaceae), which was prominent in the spice trade of the Middle Ages, and for which Christopher Columbus may have been searching when he brought Capsicum to Europe and referred to it by the same common name.
(Bailey et al. 1976, Chowdhury et al. 1996, Cichewicza and Thorpe 1996, Hedrick 1919, NAS 1989, van Wyk 2005, Wikipedia 2012.)
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| Rights holder/Author | Jacqueline Courteau, Jacqueline Courteau |
| Source | No source database. |
Capsicums (chillies and sweet peppers) are a vital part of many cuisines all over the world. They are the essence of spicy Mexican chilli salsa, Hungarian goulash, and most Asian curries. While native only to South America, capsicums are now one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide.
Many English speakers call these plants peppers, but this can be confusing because black pepper is a different plant altogether. The confusion may have arisen when capsicums were first taken to Asia and began to replace black pepper as a spicy ingredient in food. The term capsicum may be used to refer to both the small spicy ones (usually called chillies), and the large, sweet, non-spicy ones (often called peppers).
Today, there are thousands of different varieties of capsicum including colourful ornamental ones, sweet salad peppers, and spicy blow-your-head-off chillies. Many botanists believe the origins of all these different types can be traced back to about five of the 30 or so species of Capsicum. These species can still be found growing wild in various locations in South America, with the highest species diversity in Brazil. Surprisingly, only five of these species have been domesticated. So the thousands of varieties we know today can be traced back to one of these five species.
People across the Americas have been eating and cultivating capsicums for 6000 years. Chillies and peppers were first domesticated in the Americas and they are one of the earliest farmed crops in South America. However, it is difficult to work out exactly when people started to farm capsicums. The main reason this is so difficult is because edible varieties grew successfully in the wild, meaning it is hard to know when people stopped gathering them from the wild and started to plant and cultivate them. Recently, fossilised grains of domesticated Capsicum species were found on grinding stones and cooking pots used in the Americas 4000 years ago, indicating that people were routinely farming them around 2000 BC.
Although capsicums were being grown and eaten thousands of years ago throughout South America, it is believed that capsicums were only exported after Christopher Columbus’ voyage in the 1400s. When Columbus tasted the small red berries of a chilli plant, he thought he had reached India and called them red pepper because the spice reminded him of black pepper. Columbus bought some chilli plants back to Europe and is often credited with introducing chillies to Europe, and subsequently to India, Africa, China, and Japan. Unlike eggplant, chillies were welcomed into the cuisines of Europe and within 100 years after Columbus’ voyage, capsicums had spread around the world and had become part of many national cuisines. Today, they are the defining ingredient in many traditional cuisines worldwide, including countries such as Italy, Spain, Hungary, Thailand, India, Vietnam and China. Capsicum is now one of the most widely cultivated plants in the world.
Capsaicin--the pungent, spicy compound in capsicums)--is used as a self defence spray and is also used by police across the world for riot and crowd control. The spray causes people to have trouble breathing and is very painful; the effect lasts about 20 minutes. Capsaicin has also been used to repel mice from gnawing on underground electrical cables and to keep squirrels from eating bird seed.
Unarmed annual or perennial herbs. Flowers 1-few, extra-axillary or leaf-opposed. Calyx entire, truncate or shortly dentate, not accrescent. Corolla rotate to broadly campanulate, variously coloured. Stamens 5, ± exserted; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal splits. Fruit a berry, extremely variable in size, shape and colour.
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| Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
| Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1248 |
Introduction
A truly global ingredient, capsicums (chillies and sweet peppers) are a vital part of many cuisines all over the world. They are the essence of spicy Mexican chilli salsa, Hungarian goulash, and most Asian curries. While native only to South America, capsicums are now one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide.
Many English speakers call these plants peppers, but this can be confusing because black pepper is a different plant altogether. The confusion may have arisen when capsicums were first taken to Asia and began to replace black pepper as a spicy ingredient in food. The term capsicum may be used to refer to both the small spicy ones (usually called chillies), and the large, sweet, non-spicy ones (often called peppers). Another confusion arises in the English speaking world regarding the spelling of spicy capsicums – is it chile, chilli or chilli? It seems that all three versions are used in different parts of the world to describe the plant, the fruit, and the delicious meals made from them.
Wild capsicums
Today, there are thousands of different varieties of capsicum including colourful ornamental ones, sweet salad peppers, and spicy blow-your-head-off chillies. Many botanists believe the origins of all these different types can be traced back to about five of the 30 or so species of Capsicum. These species can still be found growing wild in various locations in South America, with the highest species diversity in Brazil. Surprisingly, only five of these species have been domesticated. So the thousands of varieties we know today can be traced back to one of these five species.
Finding out which plants are the original ancestors of modern crop plants and trying to determine their place of origin is very challenging. To solve this puzzle for capsicums, botanists look closely at different capsicum varieties growing in the wild. Botanists also look at other crop relatives growing in the same location because areas which have the greatest diversity of crop relatives are often thought to be the centre of origin for that crop. Back in the lab, or herbarium, botanists look at a wide variety of characteristics in order to work out the relationships of the various types.
Botanists are aiming to collect herbarium specimens and seeds of all wild and domesticated varieties of capsicum; of course, this work is all done with the proper permissions from the authorities of the countries where wild capsicums grow, and in collaboration with local botanists from many countries. When complete, this collection will be very important for improving commercial capsicum varieties including enhancing disease resistance, nutritional quality, yield, and even efficiency of harvesting.
Collecting all varieties of capsicum sounds easy but it is proving to be increasingly difficult because the capsicum’s natural habitat is threatened by tropical deforestation. Also, new species are discovered all the time, so discovering diversity is an ongoing task. It is possible that a complete collection of all capsicum species may never be gathered.
Domestication of capsicums
People across the Americas have been eating and cultivating capsicums for 6000 years. Chillies and peppers were first domesticated in the Americas and they are one of the earliest farmed crops in South America. However, it is difficult to work out exactly when people started to farm capsicums. The main reason this is so difficult is because edible varieties grew successfully in the wild, meaning it is hard to know when people stopped gathering them from the wild and started to plant and cultivate them. Recently, fossilised grains of domesticated Capsicum species were found on grinding stones and cooking pots used in the Americas 4000 years ago, indicating that people were routinely farming them around 2000 BC.
Domestication of capsicum probably occurred in a similar way to the domestication of the tomato. Ancient people of South America grew wild plants, and then selected seeds from preferred plants to sow the next season. Over many years, this gave rise to plants with bigger fruit and all kinds of different colours and tastes. Today’s plant breeders are using similar techniques to create new varieties.
To find out more about plant breeding, click here.
Spread of capsicums
Although capsicums were being grown and eaten thousands of years ago throughout South America, it is believed that capsicums were only exported after Christopher Columbus’ voyage in the 1400s. When Columbus tasted the small red berries of a chilli plant, he thought he had reached India and called them red pepper because the spice reminded him of black pepper. Columbus bought some chilli plants back to Europe and is often credited with introducing chillies to Europe, and subsequently to India, Africa, China, and Japan. Unlike eggplant, chillies were welcomed into the cuisines of Europe and within 100 years after Columbus’ voyage, capsicums had spread around the world and had become part of many national cuisines. Today, they are the defining ingredient in many traditional cuisines worldwide, including countries such as Italy, Spain, Hungary, Thailand, India, Vietnam and China. Capsicum is now one of the most widely cultivated plants in the world.
Use of capsicums
Capsicums are mostly used as a seasoning or a salad vegetable. Below, we have listed many different ways the capsicum plant is used across the world – from an essential kitchen ingredient to a self defence spray. Firstly, a bit of information on their most famous characteristic.
Firepower
The most famous attribute of the capsicum is its fire power (pungency). Some are very sweet and some are so spicy they make our eyes water. The level of pungency in capsicums depends upon the amount of a substance called capsaicin. Pungency is inherited from one plant to another. This occurs in a similar way as blue eye colour is inherited in humans. Pungency, as opposed to non-pungency, is a dominant trait. So if two plants – one pungent and one non-pungent – cross pollinate then only 1 in 4 of the resulting plants will be non-pungent. This is a good example of Mendelian genetics. To find out more about Mendel click here.
Some wild species of chilli (Capsicum chacoense from Bolivia) are variable in their pungency; this seems to be related to defence from attack by microbes that can kill the plant seeds.
The spicy heat of chillies is rated in Scoville Heat Units; the higher the number, the hotter the chilli. The hottest chilli in the world is a very new breed of capsicum plant created by two plant breeders in the UK. It is called Dorset Naga and recently passed the Red Savina habañero to gain the top spot on the Scoville Scale. Originally Scoville Heat Units were assigned using a panel of five human chilli tasters who tasted a chilli and recorded the heat level. This test has been replaced by a more exact test that measures the amount of capsaicin in each fruit. Many people around the world still enter chilli eating competitions where the aim is to eat the hottest chilli on the table.
Some scientists have studied why people love to eat spicy foods and why they try to eat hotter and hotter chillies. The studies show that chillies can give people the same sensation they get from a roller-coaster ride by causing the release of compounds called endorphins.
In the kitchen
Chilli tasting experts (a bit like wine tasters) are able to distinguish between very subtle chillie flavours: ancho is sweetish, mulatto is chocolaty, mirasol is fruity, and chipotle is smokey. And different flavours can be enhanced by different cooking techniques such as grinding the pods, toasting before grinding, or soaking the chillies in water. The famous Tabasco sauce is produced differently from many other salsas. The chillies are mashed, soaked, aged, and then strained and bottled. They are not cooked and this is thought to be the secret to Tabasco’s unique flavour.
Sweet peppers are also used in many cuisines all over the world. They contain a lot of vitamin C and are used for both flavour and colour. In many parts of the world, the spicy pungent flavour is used to enhance the insipid taste of many basic nutrient foods.
Medicinal uses
Capsicums are also used for many medicinal purposes. Capsaicin (the spicy compound) is a digestive irritant, a stimulant, and can be used to relieve arthritis, muscle cramps, and toothache. Chillies are known to raise body temperature and increase the flow of saliva and gastric juices. Many people, while using spicy chillies in the kitchen, experience skin irritation, stinging eyes, and even blisters and eating too much can aggravate stomach ulcers.
Ornamental chillies
Some chillies are grown as ornamental plants for their unusual fruit shapes, thick foliage, and very colourful fruits – some plants have fruit of four or five different colours on the same plant at the same time, reflecting colour changes during fruit ripening. In New Mexico, people dry red chillies in colourful strings called ristras. The ristra is placed near the front door of the house as a symbol of hospitality. A similar method of drying chillies is used in southwestern China.
Other uses
Capsaicin (the pungent, spicy compound in capsicums) is used as a self defence spray and is also used by police across the world for riot and crowd control. The spray causes people to have trouble breathing and is very painful; the effect lasts about 20 minutes. Capsaicin has also been used to repel mice from gnawing on underground electrical cables and to keep squirrels from eating bird seed. It appears to have evolved as a plant defence against microbe attack.
How capsicums have changed
Plant breeders are always looking for ways to improve crops and new varieties of capsicums are being bred all the time. There are bigger ones, sweeter ones, ones with different shaped or more nutritious fruit, and plants with greater resistance to drought and pests. We often think of plant breeding as a fairly modern practise, but by the time Europeans arrived in Mexico, Aztec plant breeders had already developed dozens of different types of capsicum fruit. Capsicums are an important crop and improvements are still being made to chilli and pepper plants even though there are already many different types available. Recent improvements include increased quality and yield (number of fruit per plant), more variety of colours, and enhanced nutritional value. One new variety of green New Mexican chilli provides the entire minimum daily requirement of vitamin C; it has three times as much vitamin C as a Valencia orange.
An ongoing challenge in chilli growing communities is to create a chilli plant with the hottest, most fiery chillies, to bump the current one off the top of the Scoville scale (see Firepower section, above).
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:552
Specimens with Sequences:538
Specimens with Barcodes:494
Species:50
Species With Barcodes:50
Public Records:519
Public Species:50
Public BINs:0
Fruit: Fruit is made into a poultice and used as a medicament for “bush yaws”, by the Guyana Patamona. Fruit is used as a spice for flavoring food by the Guyana Patamona.
Capsicum /ˈkæpsɨkəm/[3] (commonly known as peppers or bell peppers) is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family 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 κάπτω (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 the Nahuatl 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
Capsaicin in capsicum[edit]
The fruit of most species of Capsicum contains capsaicin (methyl vanillyl nonenamide), a lipophilic chemical that can produce a strong burning sensation (pungency or 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 pith around 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 Capsicum family.[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 medicine—mainly in topical medications—as a circulatory stimulant 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]
Capsicum fruits and peppers can be eaten raw or cooked. Those used in cooking are generally varieties of the C. annuum and C. 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 á feira). Chopped chiles are used in fish or lamb dishes such as ajoarriero or chilindrón. 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 ñoras are used for arroz a banda.
According to Richard Pankhurst, C. frutescens (known as barbaré) 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, barbaré 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 lecsó.
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]
Capsicum consists of 20–27 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-to-hot jalapeño, and the smoked, ripe jalapeño, 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. chinense showed 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]
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 słodka (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, Perú, Puerto Rico, and Argentina, use ají. In Spain, heatless varieties are called pimiento and hot varieties guindilla. Also, in Argentina and Spain, the variety C. chacoense is commonly known as "putaparió", 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, tōgarashi (唐辛子, トウガラシ "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 pīman (ピーマン, from the French piment or the Spanish pimiento).
Pictures of Capsicum cultivars[edit]
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C. annuum cultivars
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A variety of coloured Capsicum
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Peperoncini (C. annuum)
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Peperoncini in kebab restaurant
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Cayenne pepper (C. annuum)
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Compact plant of orange Capsicum
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Habanero chili (C. chinense Jacquin)- plant with flower and fruit
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Scotch bonnet (C. chinense) in a Caribbean market
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Thai peppers (C. annuum)
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Fresh Indian green chillies in Bangalore market
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Piri piri (C. frutescens 'African Devil')
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Naga jolokia pepper (bhut jolokia) (C. chinense x C. frutescens)
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C. annuum flower
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C. annum flower close up
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Green, yellow, and red peppers
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The flower of red hot bangi pepper, Malaysia
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A small but very hot Capsicum in Malaysia
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Dried and crunchy Capsicum from Basilicata
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Capsicum L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
- ^ a b "Species records of Capsicum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, p. 123, ISBN 9781405881180
- ^ Latham, Elizabeth (8 February 2013). "Capsicums at your table". Nelson Mail. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. 1 A-C. CRC Press. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
- ^ Gil-Jurado, A. T., Il senso del chile e del piccante: dalla traduzione culturale alla rappresentazione visiva in (G. Manetti, ed.), Semiofood: Communication and Culture of Meal, Centro Scientifico Editore, Torino, Italy, 2006:34–58
- ^ Mason, J. R.; N. J. Bean; P. S. Shah; L. Clark Shah (December 1991). "Taxon-specific differences in responsiveness to capsaicin and several analogues: Correlates between chemical structure and behavioral aversiveness". Journal of Chemical Ecology 17 (12): 2539–2551. doi:10.1007/BF00994601.
- ^ Norman, D. M.; J. R. Mason; L. Clark (1992). "Capsaicin effects on consumption of food by Cedar Waxwings and House Finches". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 104: 549–551.
- ^ http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/Capsaicintech.pdf
- ^ New Mexico State University – College of Agriculture and Home Economics (2005). "Chile Information – Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
- ^ "The Scoville Scale of Hotness - Capsaicin Level". Chiliwonders.com. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
- ^ "The World's Healthies Foods". Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ http://bonnieplants.com/products/vegetables/peppers/giant-marconi-pepper
- ^ http://bonnieplants.com/products/vegetables/peppers/yummy-snacking-pepper
- ^ http://www.territorialseed.com/product/Jimmy_Nardellos_Pepper_Seed/394
- ^ http://produceexpress.net/products/produce/item/italian-frying-peppers.html
- ^ http://www.gardenguides.com/119834-capsaicin-insecticide.html
- ^ http://www.askgarden.com/when-life-gives-you-peppers-use-this-pepper-jam-recipe/
- ^ Pankhurst, Richard (1968). Economic History of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University Press. pp. 193–194.
- ^ Wainwright, Martin (23 May 2005). "Onions come top for British palates". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- ^ Unknown, Unknown. "Sri Lankan Cuisine". SBS Food. SBS. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ Mitzewich, John. "10 Foods America Gave to the World". About.com Food Guide. About.com. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ a b Walsh, B.M.; Hoot, S.B. (2001). "Phylogenetic Relationships of Capsicum (Solanaceae) Using DNA Sequences from Two Noncoding Regions: The Chloroplast atpB-rbcL Spacer Region and Nuclear waxy Introns" (– Scholar search). International Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (6): 1409–1418. doi:10.1086/323273. Retrieved 2007-12-20. [dead link]
- ^ Heiser Jr, C.B.; Pickersgill, B. (1969). "Names for the Cultivated Capsicum Species (Solanaceae)". Taxon (Taxon, Vol. 18, No. 3) 18 (3): 277–283. doi:10.2307/1218828. JSTOR 1218828.
- ^ Tewksbury, J.J.; Manchego, C.; Haak, D.C.; Levey, D.J. (2006). "Where did the Chili Get its Spice? Biogeography of Capsaicinoid Production in Ancestral Wild Chili Species". Journal of Chemical Ecology 32 (3): 547–564. doi:10.1007/s10886-005-9017-4. PMID 16572297. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Eshbaugh, W.H. (1970). "A Biosystematic and Evolutionary Study of Capsicum baccatum (Solanaceae)". Brittonia (Brittonia, Vol. 22, No. 1) 22 (1): 31–43. doi:10.2307/2805720. JSTOR 2805720.
- ^ a b Ballard, R.E.; McClure, J.W.; Eshbaugh, W.H.; Wilson, K.G. (1970). "A Chemosystematic Study of Selected Taxa of Capsicum". American Journal of Botany (American Journal of Botany, Vol. 57, No. 2) 57 (2): 225–233. doi:10.2307/2440517. JSTOR 2440517.
- ^ Pickersgill, B. (1971). "Relationships Between Weedy and Cultivated Forms in Some Species of Chili Peppers (Genus capsicum)". Evolution (Evolution, Vol. 25, No. 4) 25 (4): 683–691. doi:10.2307/2406949. JSTOR 2406949.
- ^ Eshbaugh, W.H. (1975). "Genetic and Biochemical Systematic Studies of Chili Peppers (Capsicum-Solanaceae)". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club (Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, Vol. 102, No. 6) 102 (6): 396–403. doi:10.2307/2484766. JSTOR 2484766.
- ^ Zamski, E.;Shoham, O.; Palevitch, D.; Levy, A. (1987). "Ultrastructure of Capsaicinoid-Secreting Cells in Pungent and Nonpungent Red Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Cultivars". Botanical Gazette 148 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1086/337620. JSTOR 2995376.
- ^ Stewart Jr, C.; Mazourek, M.; Stellari, G.M.; O'Connell, M.; Jahn, M. (2007). "Genetic control of pungency in C. chinense via the Pun1 locus". Journal of Experimental Botany 58 (5): 979–91. doi:10.1093/jxb/erl243. PMID 17339653.
- ^ "The Plant List".
- ^ "Tropicos".
- ^ Deyuan Yang, Paul W. Bosland. "The Genes of Capsicum". HortScience.
- ^ GRAS FDA
- ^ [1]
External links[edit]
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Capsicum. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Capsicum |
- Capsicum pepper factsheet from Purdue Guide to Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
- Capsicums: Innovative Uses of an Ancient Crop History, Botany, Breeding, and Pungency. Purdue University, Indiana, U.S.A.
- IBPGR (1985). Solanacaea. International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, Rome, Italy.
- Descriptors for Capsicum (Capsicum spp.) from Bioversity International (PDF, 770 kb)
- Capsicum and Chillies: Commercial Cultivation DPI&F Queensland, Australia.
- Chilli: La especia del Nuevo Mundo (Article from Germán Octavio López Riquelme about biology, nutrition, culture and medical topics. In Spanish)
- Capsicum: Growing Capsicum in India GreenMyLife, India
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| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capsicum&oldid=650057680 |
Guyana Patamona: pui-maui-yik, pi-mi-ruk-yik.