What is red pepper?
Red pepper is one of the names of very popular spice and fruit in the world. It is like pepper that could make us confuse between peppercorn (piper nigrum) and chili pepper (capsicum). Red pepper could also bring us the same confusion, because it could be red peppercorn (from piper nigrum genus), red chili pepper, red hot chili or red hot chili pepper, red hot chili powder, red bell chili pepper also called bell pepper (from capsicum genus).
Why are there differences in using the name of red pepper?
Red pepper in fact is used widely to point out red peppercorn, hot chili pepper, and hot chili powder in Asia. It is pointed out popularly red bell chili pepper in America and Europe. The differences in calling way base on the local people who sometimes talk about it with typical features of this spice and fruit with its accidentals such as color outer or taste or form.
Make it easy in name of red pepper
To help you to decrease your confusing in using of this name, there are some features that are useful for you as below:
Determine red pepper under the science name
- Use red peppercorn to point out red pepper that belongs to piper nigrum. It is noticed that the main characteristics in this case of red pepper is not specie of pepper. It is just the type of piper nigrum processed. It means that piper nigrum which is harvested when ripe with red outer. And then it is preserved in the brine or vinegar or some other processes to keep the red outer.
- Use red chili pepper, red hot chili pepper or bell chili pepper to point out red peppers that belong to capsicum. Pay attention that red chili in calling of Asian people popularly, it may be hot chili pepper or hot chili pepper powder. And in America or Europe, widely red pepper is red bell chili pepper.
Determine red pepper under the accidentals of pepper
- For whole red pepper grain with fresh or dry red outer, gentle spicy taste, aromatic spread smell, it is red peppercorn.
- For whole red pepper fruit with long and slender form in sizes, fresh or dry form or dry powder, pungent taste and smell, it is red hot chili pepper.
- For whole fresh red pepper with bell form in sizes, sweet or bitter and slightly spicy or not spicy tastes, it is red bell chili pepper.
