Peppers are one of those indispensable ingredients in the kitchen, it can be used as key ingredient to complement and stand out the flavors of some many dishes.
It comes from the plant called capsicum, and is only one among the wide variety that can be found throughout the world.
Peppers are originally from Spain, from where it was taken to Asia and Africa. In these zones were spread very fast and for many years people believed that the peppers had an Asian or African origin.
Peppers are classified in three groups, which allows to establish differences in flavor. At the same time, this groups, are divide in sub groups as well, so we end up with a great variety with different characteristics such as geographic zones, temperatures and condition of the grown in where the pepper where cultivated.
Sweet Peppers: Are the biggest ones and it can be found in 5 different colors: yellow, red, orange, green and purple.
Hot peppers: Also known as chilli pepper it is very popular in the Mexican gastronomy, and exist a huge variety of them.
Ocal Bittersweet peppers: It can be obtained from a specific variety of peppers, such as the Jariza peppers and the Jaraiz de la Vera peppers. His flavor it is a mix of the two types above.
For his sweet flavor and his crispy consistency, peppers are frequently used in stews, roasts and salads.
The paprika on the other hand, it’s one of the most used in the kitchen. It’s a key element in the sausage making. By his strong red color, it can be used to add flavor and contrast to a vegetable creams, or some cooked vegetables.
Smoked peppers are often prepared with tomatoes or eggplants.