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Bell peppers are a cultivar group of the chili peppers, and come in different glossy colors, including green, red, yellow and orange. They have a crunchy texture and a bit of a tangy taste, though the red ones are sweeter and the green ones more bitter. They are named so because of their shape.

Bell peppers, known as capsicum in some parts of the world, are botanically fruits, but are consumed as vegetables. They can be eaten raw in different kinds of salads or in cooked food. Red bell peppers are also used to prepare paprika.

All bell peppers are members of the Capsicum annum family. They are most commonly grown in the summer and in the early fall, as the sun augments their sweetness. They originate in Central America, northern South America and Mexico. Their color depends not only on their cultivar, but also on when they are harvested, as most get their red color in the final stage of ripening.

Bell peppers contain several nutrients, and are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamine beta, folic acid and carotene. They are rich in phytochemicals such as chlorogenic acid, coumeric acid and zeaxanthin. Red bell peppers also contain lycopene, which was found to help protect against heart disease and cancer.