The pepper, scientifically known as Capiscum annuum, is a shrub that belongs to the Solanaceae family. Greens, reds or yellows, its fruits arrived in Europe from the South American continent thousands of years ago and today they are cultivated in Italy and all over the world in many varieties.

It is a precious, rich and healthy vegetable that brings significant benefits to the body. As is known, peppers contain good amounts of vitamin C, but also vitamin A, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and iron ; they are ideal for purifying and slimming diets, as they are made up of water for more than 90%.

Their action is also important to combat aging and the formation of diseases: they are in fact powerful antioxidants and protect from cardiovascular disorders, preventing the formation of tumors. Finally, their fiber content should not be forgotten as it produces a mild laxative effect in the body.

How many types of peppers are there?

The peppers can be of various types : yellow or red, sweeter, ideal for risotto, to season pasta and to be grilled. Or greens, spicy or less, with a less sweet taste, which is well suited to be cooked with potatoes and accompanied with cheese. Other varieties are represented by spicy or ornamental peppers, such as Cayenne pepper or jalapeño.

Other less well known in Italy are the Tabasco and rocoto, for example, varieties that resist even at −5 ° C for short periods, while the habanero is very sensitive to the sun. There are varieties that have purple flowers and black seeds, streaks on the fruit or spots on the corolla.

The main substance behind the peppery spiciness is called alkaloid capsaicin . Each capsacinoid has a relative spiciness and a different taste in the mouth, and a variation in the proportions of these substances determines the different sensations produced by the different varieties, in addition to their content.

Peppers among the summer vegetables

The pepper in the kitchen

Shiny and firm, free of dents and with smooth and well-stretched skin, with the stem stuck tight: if so, you have chosen good peppers!

This vegetable can be kept in the refrigerator for about five days, or it can also be put in oil or in vinegar . Hot peppers can be dried and stored under glass.

Raw, in salads or with pinzimonio, fried or grilled or accompanied by various dishes, they become excellent with other vegetables in the peperonata or to prepare stuffed peppers.

Here is the tasty risotto alla vogherese .

Ingredients

> 300 grams of rice,

> 2 peppers (red and yellow),

> an onion,

> parsley,

> a glass of dry white wine

> extra virgin olive oil,

> a knob of butter,

> a sprinkling of grated parmesan,

> half a liter of vegetable broth.

Preparation

Soften the chopped onion in the extra virgin olive oil over low heat, add the peppers cleaned from the seeds and cut into cubes. Sauté for three minutes, add the rice and let it toast. Then blend with the wine and add the broth, leaving to cook for the rice cooking time, gradually adding the broth. When the rice is cooked, remove from heat and stir in the butter, a little fresh parsley and grated parmesan.

Curiosity : the spiciness of the peppers is usually measured by the Scoville scale. The world record for single measurement lies with the Trinidad Scorpion Moroga, the Scorpion of Trinidad, originating in the district of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago. This pepper is classified in 2012 as the most spicy in the world, having a very high capsaicin concentration!