Peperoncino is the generic Italian name for hot chili peppers, specifically some regional cultivars of the species Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens. The sweet pepper is called peperone in Italian. Like most peppers, the fruit is green or yellowish-green when young, and ripens to a red color.
Peperoncini for sale at a market of Tropea in Calabria, Italy
Crushed peperoncini sold at a market in Syracuse, Sicily
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
