Bell Pepper

Green bell peppers are slightly bitter and grassy; fully ripened red, yellow, and orange varieties are sweeter and more fruity with a crisp, juicy crunch.

Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum, Grossum Group) are large, blocky, thick-walled sweet peppers with zero heat. They are one of the most widely cultivated and consumed vegetables globally. Unlike hot chilies, they lack the capsaicin gene, resulting in a mild, sweet flavor that intensifies as they ripen from green to red, yellow, orange, or other colors. They are botanically fruits (berries) but used as vegetables.

Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum Grossum Group) were domesticated in Central Mexico around 6,000–7,000 years ago by Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. Wild ancestors of Capsicum annuum originated in northern South America and were spread by birds before human cultivation began. Christopher Columbus brought pepper seeds back to Europe in 1493, where they quickly spread across the continent and eventually to Asia and Africa. The modern large, blocky, sweet "bell" variety was further refined in the early 20th century (notably in Hungary around 1908–1920s), leading to the thick-walled, mild peppers we know today. Unlike hot chilies, bell peppers lack capsaicin due to a recessive gene, making them suitable for raw eating and broad culinary use.