The pepper is native to Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru. They arrived in Spain in 1493, after Christopher Columbus' first voyage to America. The American Indians called them chili, but the Spanish and Portuguese called them peppers or Brazilian peppers. From the 16th century they began to be cultivated in Spain and from there it spread to Italy and from Italy it reached France. The Portuguese took care of making them reach the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. But the larger and meatier sweet or slightly spicy varieties that we consume today began to be cultivated from the 20th century. The pepper belongs to the Solanaceae family, to the Capsicum genus, of which there are 2,300 species, including tomatoes and eggplants. Properties / Health of peppers The pepper has a significant caloric intake, a lot of water, fiber, and almost no fat, so it can be consumed in weight loss diets. The pepper contains: - Vitamins: C (a lot, more than citrus fruits), E, A, B1, B2, B3, B6. - Minerals: phosphorus and magnesium, potassium, calcium - Others: folic acid, carotenes, capsanthin, beta-carotenes. Properties and benefits. Recommended for: - Promotes collagen, bone, and tooth formation - Promotes growth of: hair, vision, nails, mucous membranes. - Immune system. Strengthens defenses. Helps in the creation of red and white blood cells. - Transmission and generation of nerve and muscle impulse. - Due to its vitamin E as one of the great antioxidants allies against cancer. - Analgesic power, for arthritis and rheumatism. - Helps burn fat: spicy varieties help burn fat. Varieties / Season of peppers There are many types of peppers, green, yellow, and red. Green ones are the mildest and red ones have the strongest flavor. The most commonly used are: - Bell pepper, - Spicy pepper - group to which piquillo peppers, Padrón peppers, Guindillas, and Gernika peppers belong - Choriceros - Ñoras, - Italian sweet pepper... They are classified by their shape and size: - Square shape, of which there are 3 types: 1 California Wonder Pepper. 2 Sitaki Pepper 3 Salsa Pepper. - Elongated or rectangular shape, the most consumed and appreciated in daily consumption: Reus pepper Lamuya pepper Guindillas are in the elongated group, there are green, yellow, and red ones. The latter are the spiciest. From the dried red ones, cayenne pepper is obtained. When buying them, we must ensure that they are fleshy, firm, with shiny and smooth skin, without spots. They can be kept for up to 15 days in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag with holes. Once cooked, they can be frozen. Pepper recipes Peppers are delicious and we use them in many ways: in salads, roasted, in rice, accompanying meat dishes, lamb, pork, eggs, omelettes... The ones we use most often are those belonging to the elongated or square-shaped variety, such as the Reus Pepper: red and green. Piquillo peppers are usually eaten stuffed and in many other recipes as they are trendy in haute cuisine. The ones with DO are from Todosa; those from Padrón (Galicia) grilled with coarse salt are magnificent as a side dish and we must not forget those from Gernika. Suggested recipes: - Escalibada - Stuffed rice peppers - Artichokes with peppers - Red and orange pepper salad - Roasted mushrooms with peppers - Pericana - Roasted salad