Chili peppers

Chili peppers

　　Chili peppers, another term for 辣椒.

Chili peppers, belonging to the genus Capsicum in the nightshade family, are also known as 番椒, 海椒, 辣子, 辣角, or 秦椒. Based on ripeness, they are categorized into green chili peppers and red chili peppers. Fresh green or red chili peppers can be used as main ingredients in dishes, while red chili peppers can be processed into dried chili peppers, chili sauce, and more, primarily used as seasoning. They are annual herbaceous plants.

The fruits are usually conical or elongated in shape, green when unripe, and turn bright red, yellow, or purple when ripe, with red being the most common. The spiciness of chili pepper fruits comes from capsaicin in the skin. They can stimulate appetite. Chili peppers have the highest vitamin C content among vegetables.