For the dish calories in one bell pepper called simply “Chili”, see Chili con carne. For the band, see Red Hot Chili Peppers. Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency.

Chili peppers are believed to have originated somewhere in Central or South America. Cultivars grown in North America and Europe are believed to all derive from Capsicum annuum, and have white, yellow, red or purple to black fruits. Capsicum plants originated in modern-day Bolivia and have been a part of human diets since about 7,500 BC. They are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas. Peru has the highest variety of cultivated Capsicum diversity because it is a center of diversification where varieties of all five domesticates were introduced, grown, and consumed in pre-Columbian times. The largest diversity of wild Capsicum peppers is consumed in Bolivia. When Christopher Columbus and his crew reached the Caribbean, they were the first Europeans to encounter Capsicum.

Chili peppers spread to Asia through their introduction by Portuguese traders, who—aware of their trade value and resemblance to the spiciness of black pepper—promoted their commerce in the Asian spice trade routes. Capsicum frutescens includes malagueta, tabasco, piri piri, and Malawian Kambuzi. Capsicum chinense includes the hottest peppers such as the naga, habanero, Datil and Scotch bonnet. Capsicum pubescens includes the South American rocoto peppers.

Capsicum baccatum includes the South American aji peppers. Though there are only a few commonly used species, there are many cultivars and methods of preparing chili peppers that have different names for culinary use. Green and red bell peppers, for example, are the same cultivar of C. Most popular pepper varieties are seen as falling into one of these categories or a cross between them.

When peppers are consumed by mammals such as humans, capsaicin binds with pain receptors in the mouth and throat, potentially evoking pain via spinal relays to the brainstem and thalamus where heat and discomfort are perceived. Capsaicin is produced by the plant as a defense against mammalian predators and microbes, in particular a fusarium fungus carried by hemipteran insects that attack certain species of chili peppers, according to one study. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Chili pepper pods are technically berries. When used fresh, they are most often prepared and eaten like a vegetable.