Capsicum annuum

Capsicum (Capsicum annuum ) or pepper is a plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). The origin of the plant varieties is located in South and Central America, but occurs naturally extend to the south of North America. The species is the most widespread species of the genus capsicum (Capsicum ).

4.1 capsaicin

6.1 General information on chiles
6.2 fruit types

Description

The Capsicum annuum - plants are up to 150 cm high and grow as a bushy shrub, but mostly stretched upward. Near the root, the plants become woody relatively easy. The blades are tapered forward 5-25 cm long and 3-15 cm wide.

The flowers of Capsicum annuum grown mostly individually from the branches of the stem, very rarely, two or three flowers are to be found in a branch. This is usually observed in the first branch of the stem axis at the king blossoms so-called. The five most (but less, four to seven ) petals are white, often they have purple lines or are completely purple. Typical features are the often bluish stamens and the calyx with its short (0.5 cm) lobes. Flowers and fruits hang mostly downward, but there are also varieties such as the wild form Tepin, whose fruits grow up. Botanically speaking, the fruit berries.

Most varieties of this species are almost always held annual in culture. The species C. annuum is the most widely planted variety in the chillies. Include virtually all mild ( sweet peppers ) or moderately hot chiles ( hot peppers ), but also most of the sharp and very hot chilli to this type. The chilies are available in Europe in the supermarket are almost always C. annuum - varieties.

Etymology

Annuum means annual in botany, but all varieties of this type are in principle more than one year culturable (however, the botanical term refers to annual and not a calendar year).

History, origin, occurrence and cultivation

Origin from America

Original home of the Capsicum annuum is probably the present-day Mexico. However, the distribution area before the discovery of America comprises areas of northern Colombia to the south of the USA.

Worldwide distribution

After traveling through the Christopher Columbus's first pepper plants leaving America, the plant is widely supported by the great expansion of colonial rule of Portugal quickly all over the world.

After North and Central Europe, the peppers came over the detour through the Balkans, where they were introduced by the Turks, which they probably had in turn obtained from the Portuguese colonies in India and Persia. Almost all such introduced plants appear to have belonged to the species Capsicum annuum, like many entries show in herbaria since the 16th century. To the thus collected documents include Capsicum annuum - plants of different fruit shapes ( bell, pyramidal and tomatoes shaped) and with both upright and hanging fruit growing.

For a long time the conclusions drawn in Northern Europe Capsicum annuum - plants were only used as ornamental plants, until the end of the 17th century appeared sporadically instructions for culinary use of the fruits on. It has often been pointed out, careful and very economical to use the fruit to flavor food. In the 18th century more and more vegetables were cooked pickled, so also mostly green Capsicum annuum - fruits, in part, the fruits were also used to flavor other vegetables when inserting.

Ingredients

The following ingredients can be found in Capsicum annuum:

Capsaicin

The content of capsaicin, which is responsible for the sharpness ingredient of pepper or chili, is very different between the different varieties of Capsicum annuum. While peppers almost no capsaicin (0 SCU on the Scoville scale), already jalapeños have a value of 2500-8000 SCU. The leader among the Capsicum annuum, like the Cayenne or the wild form Chiltepin are approximately 30,000-50,000 SCU, ie far below the values reach the representatives of other species, such as Capsicum chinense.

System

There is no universally accepted classification within the Art A simple grouping differs between C. annuum var glabriusculum only ( sometimes also referred to as var aviculare ) for all wild varieties and C. annuum var annuum for the cultivars. Another grouping shall indicate the nature on the basis of fruit shape and color: The cerasiforme group is characterized by small, cherry -like fruit; the conioides group has upright, mostly small, cone -shaped fruits; as members of the fasciculatum group include varieties with red, cone- shaped fruits; in the grossum group are the large, mostly sweet peppers and Longum Group has a long, often curved fruits, which are often formed in clusters.

Important varieties

General information about chiles

Justified by the long cultivation, simple cross-pollination and extensive just lately selective breeding, there is a wide variety of chilies, which are often not or only differ by relatively few recognizable features. Moreover, often different names are used for one and the same variety, partly unconscious, partly - as especially in Mexico, where other terms are used for different stages of maturity - consciously. Many local varieties have evolved over the years in certain areas so that you can already speak of a new species of partially strictly speaking, when the fruit was harvested from the plant of another farmer. To limit this diversity somewhat, fruit types are often described, although do not allow exact botanical subdivision, but just find a wide application in the agricultural sector. The fruit types listed below by no means form from all varieties, which are grown around the world, often is already a mapping to these fruit types are not clearly possible.

Fruit types

( Chil ) Tepin / Pequin Type: For this type, the wild variety Chiltepin heard (C. annuum var glabriusculum or C. annuum var aviculare ), with small, round or pointed, mostly red fruit. Often the fruits and "Bird chilies " or " Bird Eye chillies " are mentioned because they are eaten by birds. Some ornamental varieties make some bigger fruits and mature in different colors like purple or black. Chiltepin chilies are very sharp.
Cayenne - Type: Typical for all Cayenne -type varieties is the elongated fruit with a pointed end, which is often semicircular, sometimes completely formed around. The original cayenne chili is red, but there are also yellow varieties. The mostly to be found in German supermarkets Dutch Dutch Red chilies were probably bred from the Indonesian Cayenne varieties. With less sharpness and a less rough outer skin, they are better adapted to the customer requirements.
Jalapeño type: Unlike the Cayenne Chili, the jalapeno is mainly characterized by the rounded tip. The fruits are also just slightly conical and less sharp.

Anaheim - type: Often referred to as " New Mexican ", this fruit type is one of the most popular among the larger pepper fruits in the United States and widespread in Mexico. The fruits are 15-20 cm long and run forward pointed to. With a slight sharpness and large interior spaces, the fruits are good for filling, but they are also often processed into paprika.
Poblano type: Slightly wider than the Anaheim Poblano rather in Mexico is known as in the U.S., but even there this type of fruit is being sold. Depending on the color hot mature and dried fruits also Ancho or Mulato. The sold as Dolmalik in Turkey peppers also belongs to this type of fruit.
Short-Wax/Hot-Wax-Typ: The name Wax draws attention to the almost waxy surface of the fruits of this fruit type. They are up to ten inches long, tapering to the front and are usually harvested in an immature state in which they have a yellowish, almost white color.
Long -Wax Type: How to Short -Wax, only slightly longer and usually less sharp.
Cherry peppers Type: With up to five or six inches in diameter, round shape and usually bright red, but also yellow or brown color, the cherry peppers are strongly reminiscent of ripe cherries. Because of their thick and firm flesh they will gladly filled and inserted occasionally but they are also used for drying. In Europe known varieties usually come from Hungary, but it is grown in Mexico and cherry peppers, where they bear the name of Cascabel.
Bell peppers / capsicum block - type: These are the known sweet peppers. With three or four chambers, thick flesh and a length of 10-15 cm and a diameter of about 10 cm, they are the most popular peppers in German supermarkets. The original form will mature red, but similar widespread is the yellow form, and there is orange or purple varieties and those that remain green as long as possible before they reach maturity.
Cubanelle type: Although cubanelle means something like Cubans, these chillies are originally from Italy. Fruits are comparable, but slightly smaller and elongated with the block-shaped sweet peppers. Some of them also have a pronounced peak.

Asterids Solanales Berry

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