Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli, are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. Chili peppers are widely used in many cuisines as a spice to add "heat" to dishes. Capsaicin and related compounds known as capsaicinoids are the substances that give chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically. Chili peppers exhibit a range of heat and flavors. This diversity is the reason behind the availability of different types of paprika and chili powder, each offering its own taste and heat level.
Young chili plants
Cayenne peppers, a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, one of the most diverse and commonly grown chili species
Tabasco peppers, like other Capsicum frutescens cultivars, characteristically bear fruits pointing upwards
Capsicum chinense, like Habanero peppers, include the hottest chili cultivars
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Various fruits arranged at a stall at the Municipal Market of São Paulo
Fresh fruit mix of blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries
An arrangement of fruits commonly thought of as culinary vegetables, including corn (maize), tomatoes, and various squash
Pomegranate fruit – whole and piece with arils
