Origin of pepper
We had to wait that Christopher Columbus discovered the new world to learn about the pepper. This vegetable is native to Central and South America, so much so that in the 16th century in Europe was also called Brazil pepper and pepper in India. The first exported from the Americas peppers were spicy ones and elongated shape: it is only thanks to the painstaking botanists and horticulturists who are born the sweet variety that we all know.
Properties and benefits of peppers
What a surprise! The Prince of summer vegetable is the main source of vitamin C (even almost 5 times more citrus fruits), valuable antioxidant vitamin for our body. To this we add a lot of water (90%) and potassium in the face of so few calories and excellent diuretic. Green is the pepper that is collected before the others and spicier flavor, the sweeter red and yellow the most satiating, sweet and tender.
Tips for using the pepper in the kitchen
Cooked or raw? This is the question! While it is true that raw, in salads and dips, retain all their formidable nutrients, it is equally true that many are yucky (especially Verdi),due to a substance in the skin (the capsicum). To work around this you can just quickly blanch the peppers and remove the outer foil and inner seed, to enjoy it then steam peper, gravies or stuffed.
Curiosity about the pepper
Since you get pepper paprika, a spice that helps to flavor our dishes.