View source for Bell pepper

{{short description|Group of fruits of Capsicum annuum}}
{{redirect|Sweet Pepper|the 1929 German film|Sweet Pepper (film){{!}}''Sweet Pepper'' (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Bell pepper
| image = Green-Yellow-Red-Pepper-2009.jpg
| image_caption = Green, yellow, and red bell peppers
| species = ''[[Capsicum annuum]]''
| module = {{Infobox pepper
 | embed = yes 
 | heat = None
 | scoville = 0
}}
}}

The '''bell pepper''' (also known as '''sweet pepper''', '''paprika''', '''pepper''', '''capsicum''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|p|s|ᵻ|k|ə|m}}<ref>{{citation |last=Wells |first=John C.|year=2008|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary |edition=3rd |publisher=Longman |page=123|isbn=9781405881180}}</ref> or, in some parts of the [[U.S. Midwest]], '''mango'''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rice |first1=Briana |title=Why do some people in Cincinnati call green peppers 'mangoes'? |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2020/02/25/green-peppers-mangoes/4868299002/ |website=The [Cincinnati] Enquirer |access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref>) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum [[cultivar group|Group]] of the species ''[[Capsicum annuum]]''.<ref name="cabi">{{cite web|title=''Capsicum annuum'' (bell pepper)|url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/15784|publisher=CABI|access-date=15 March 2018|date=28 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Capsicum annuum (Grossum Group) (Bell Pepper, Red pepper, Sweet Pepper) {{!}} North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox |url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/capsicum-annuum-grossum-group/ |website=plants.ces.ncsu.edu |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent [[chili pepper|chili]] varieties as "sweet peppers". While they are [[Botany|botanically]] [[fruit]]s—classified as [[Berry (botany)|berries]]—they are commonly used as a [[vegetable]] ingredient or [[side dish]]. Other varieties of the genus ''[[Capsicum]]'' are categorized as [[Chili pepper|''chili peppers'']] when they are cultivated for their [[pungency]], including some varieties of ''Capsicum annuum''.

Peppers are native to [[Mexico]], [[Central America]], the [[Caribbean]] and northern [[South 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 {{convert|21|to|29|°C|°F}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Growing Peppers: The Important Facts |url=http://www.gardenersgardening.com/growingpeppers.html |publisher=GardenersGardening.com |access-date=10 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127080844/http://www.gardenersgardening.com/growingpeppers.html |archive-date=27 January 2013}}</ref>

==Nomenclature==
[[File:Colorful Bell Peppers.JPG|thumb|A variety of colored bell peppers]]
[[File:November 15, 2012, The Right Cut (8223639251).jpg|thumb|Chef chopping bell peppers]]

The name ''pepper'' was given by Europeans when [[Christopher Columbus]] brought the plant back to Europe. At that time, [[black pepper]] (peppercorns), from the unrelated plant ''Piper nigrum'' originating from India, was a highly prized condiment. The name ''pepper'' was applied in Europe to all known spices with a hot and [[Pungency|pungent]] taste and was therefore extended to genus ''[[Capsicum]]'' when it was introduced from the Americas. The most commonly used name of the plant family ''[[Chili pepper|chile]]'' is of Mexican origin, from the [[Nahuatl]] word ''chilli''.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

The terms ''bell pepper'' (US, Canada, Philippines, UK), ''pepper'' or ''sweet pepper'' (UK, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe), and ''capsicum'' (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).<ref>{{cite web |title=Bell and Chili Peppers |url=https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/bell-and-chili-peppers |publisher=Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, US Department of Agriculture |access-date=25 August 2018 |date=October 2017}}</ref> In the [[Midland American English|Midland]] region of the U.S., bell peppers, either fresh or when stuffed and pickled, are sometimes called mangoes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dictionary of American Regional English|url=https://www.daredictionary.com/view/dare/ID_00036809|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hollandbeck |first1=Andy |title=In a Word: When Is a Mango Not a Mango |url=https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/06/in-a-word-when-is-a-mango-not-a-mango/ |access-date=5 February 2025 |work=The Saturday Evening Post |date=6 June 2024}}</ref>

In some languages, the term ''paprika'', which has its roots in the word for pepper, is used for both the [[Paprika|spice]] and the fruit &ndash; sometimes referred to by their color (for example ''groene 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 French ''piment'' pronounced with a silent 't') in Japan.<ref name="FarooqiSreeramu2005">{{cite book|author1=Azhar Ali Farooqi|author2=B. S. Sreeramu|author3=K. N. Srinivasappa|title=Cultivation of Spice Crops|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7KPUlXxOYZAC&pg=PA336|year=2005|publisher=Universities Press|isbn=978-81-7371-521-1|page=336}}</ref> In Switzerland, the fruit is mostly called ''peperone'', which is the Italian name of the fruit. In France, it is called ''poivron'', with the same root as ''poivre'' (meaning "pepper") or ''piment''. In Spain it is called ''pimiento morrón'', the masculine form of the traditional spice, ''pimienta'' and "morrón" (snouted) referring to its general shape. In South Korea, the word "피망" (''pimang'' from the French ''piment'') refers to green bell peppers, whereas "파프리카" (''papeurika'', from ''paprika'') refers to bell peppers of other colors. In Sri Lanka, both the bell pepper and the [[banana pepper]] are referred to as a "capsicum" since the bell pepper has no Sinhalese translation. In Argentina and Chile, it is called "morrón".{{cn|date=October 2024}} In Russia, it is called "Bulgarian pepper"; during the Soviet era, Bulgaria was its largest supplier.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}

Red, yellow, and green bell peppers are sometimes packaged and sold together in grocery stores under names like "tricolor" or "stoplight mix".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=DiMartino|first=Christina|date=February 16, 2004|title=Pero Packing & Sales is preparing to double the size of its facility by 2005|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Produce_News/lmZQAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22stoplight%20mix%22&printsec=frontcover|magazine=Produce News|volume=107|issue=1-12|page=26}}</ref>
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name = Peppers, sweet, red, raw
| kcal = 27
| water = 92 g
| protein = 0.9 g
| fat = 0.13 g
| carbs = 4.64 g
| fiber = 1.8 g
| sugars = 2.4 g
| calcium_mg = 6
| iron_mg = 0.35
| magnesium_mg = 11
| phosphorus_mg = 27
| potassium_mg = 213
| sodium_mg = 3
| zinc_mg = 0.2
| manganese_mg = 0.122
| vitC_mg = 142
| thiamin_mg = 0.055
| riboflavin_mg = 0.142
| niacin_mg = 1
| pantothenic_mg = 0.317
| vitB6_mg = 0.3
| folate_ug = 47
| vitA_ug = 157
| betacarotene_ug = 1624
| lutein_ug = 341
| vitE_mg = 1.58
| vitK_ug = 7.4
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2258590/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

==Colors==

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,<ref>{{cite web|title=Vegetable of the Month: Bell Pepper |url=https://www.cdc.gov/NCCDPHP/DNPA/5ADay/month/bell_pepper.htm |work=CDC Fruit & Vegetable of the Month |access-date=9 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030103193545/http://www.cdc.gov/NCCDPHP/DNPA/5ADay/month/bell_pepper.htm |archive-date=3 January 2003 }}</ref> although the 'Permagreen' variety maintains its green color even when fully ripe. Therefore, mixed colored peppers also exist during parts of the ripening process.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

==Uses==
===Culinary===
Like the [[tomato]], bell peppers are botanical [[fruit]]s and culinary [[vegetable]]s. Pieces of bell pepper are commonly used in garden [[salad]]s and as toppings on [[pizza]]. There are many varieties of [[stuffed pepper]]s prepared using hollowed or halved bell peppers. Bell peppers (and [[List of Capsicum cultivars|other cultivars]] of ''Capsicum annuum'') may be used in the production of the spice [[paprika]].

===Nutrition===
A raw red bell pepper is 94% water, 5% [[carbohydrate]]s, 1% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and contains negligible [[fat]]. A 100 gram (3.5 ounce) reference amount supplies 26 [[calorie]]s, and is a rich source of [[vitamin C]] {{ndash}} containing 158% of the [[Daily Value]] (DV) {{ndash}} [[vitamin A]] (20%), and [[vitamin B6]] (23% DV), with moderate contents of [[riboflavin]] (12%), [[folate]] (12% DV), and [[vitamin E]] (11% DV). A red bell pepper supplies twice the vitamin C and eight times the vitamin A content of a green bell pepper.<ref name="mehta">{{cite web |url=http://www.udc.edu/docs/causes/online/Pepper%2010.pdf |title=Peppers |author=University of the District of Columbia |publisher=Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health |access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref>

The bell pepper is the only member of the genus ''Capsicum'' that does not produce [[capsaicin]], a [[lipophilic]] chemical that can cause a strong burning sensation when it comes in contact with [[mucous membrane]]s. Bell peppers are thus scored in the lowest level of the [[Scoville 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 genus ''Capsicum''. 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 [[Habanero#Cultivars|'Habanada']]. Sweet pepper cultivars produce [[Capsinoids|non-pungent capsaicinoids]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Non-pungent capsaicinoids from sweet pepper|journal = European Journal of Nutrition|date = 2003-02-01|issn = 1436-6207|pages = 2–9|volume = 42|issue = 1|doi = 10.1007/s00394-003-0394-6|pmid = 12594536|language = en|first1 = Antonio|last1 = Macho|first2 = Concepción|last2 = Lucena|first3 = Rocio|last3 = Sancho|first4 = Nives|last4 = Daddario|first5 = Alberto|last5 = Minassi|first6 = Eduardo|last6 = Muñoz|first7 = Giovanni|last7 = Appendino|s2cid = 25276690}}</ref>

== Production ==
In 2020, global production of bell peppers was 36 million [[tonne]]s, led by [[China]] with 46% of the total, and secondary production by [[Mexico]], [[Indonesia]], and [[Turkey]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bell pepper production|url=https://www.tridge.com/intelligences/bell-pepper/production|publisher=Tridge|access-date=5 August 2022|date=2020}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Cookbook|Bell Pepper}}
* [[List of Capsicum cultivars]]
{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Clear}}
{{Capsicum Cultivars}}

[[Category:Chili peppers]]
[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
[[Category:Capsicum cultivars]]
[[Category:Crops]]