Knowra Chili pepper Chili pepper A pungent fruit of Capsicum plants, eaten fresh or dried as a vegetable, spice, or seasoning. Its characteristic heat comes chiefly from capsaicinoids.
Capsaicin : The main pungent compound in chili peppers, produced by plants in the genus Capsicum. It accounts for much of the burning sensation associated with chili peppers.
Capsicum : A genus of flowering plants that includes chili peppers and sweet peppers. Chili peppers are fruits of several domesticated species in this genus.
Chili powder : A ground spice made from dried chili peppers, sometimes blended with other seasonings. Drying and grinding turn chili peppers into a convenient seasoning.
Bell pepper : A mild, hollow-fruited cultivar group of Capsicum annuum, commonly eaten as a vegetable. It belongs to the same species as many chili peppers but lacks pungency.
TRPV1 : A gene encoding an ion channel involved in sensing heat, pain, and capsaicin. Research on capsaicin helped establish this receptor's role in pain sensation.
Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 : A sensory ion channel activated by heat, acidity, and compounds including capsaicin. Capsaicin triggers this receptor, making the mouth register heat without a temperature increase.
Domestication of chili peppers : The process by which people selected and cultivated wild Capsicum plants as crops. Archaeological evidence places early chili pepper use and cultivation in the Americas.
Hot sauce : A condiment made primarily from chili peppers, often combined with vinegar, salt, or other ingredients. It delivers chili pepper pungency in a liquid, preserved form.
Black pepper : A spice made from the dried berries of Piper nigrum, a tropical climbing vine. Despite its name, it is botanically unrelated to chili peppers.
Capsaicin cream : A topical preparation containing capsaicin, used to relieve certain types of pain. The same compound that makes chili peppers pungent can reduce pain with repeated application.
Show all 25