Columbus, in his search for spices in the New World, erroneously labelled capsicum, 'peppers' because of their peppery taste. A member of the nightshade family, capsicum is unrelated to the piper nigrum (black pepper) family. Capsicum is the generic name for sweet peppers and chillies and covers hundreds of varieties. 

Referred to as 'sweet peppers' in North America, the familiar bell shape lends its name to 'bell peppers' which can be green, red, orange, yellow, deep purple (aubergine colour) and all shades in between. Peppers of this type have a thicker skin than the familiar long, thin medium, green sweet pepper favoured by Italians, Turks or Middle Eastern cooks. Depending upon where you purchase them, they may be called pepperoni (Italian), Italian peppers or Turkish peppers. Of these sweet, pepperoni types, there are also hotter ones. These are usually a paler green, to yellowish, rounder and sometimes shorter. There are, of course smaller pepperonis that are very hot and these belong to the chilli (hot pepper) sort. 

Thanks to Columbus' discovery, peppers of all kinds have found their way into many cuisines from the New World to Spain, Italy and Northern Africa, to such Asian cuisines such as Szechuan (China), Korean, Thai and many more. Paprika is made by grinding chillies, the kind used, of course defines 'hot', or 'sweet'. The best paprika is undisputedly Hungarian and the finest, 'noble sweet rose' is a notable difference than paprika from other cultures. Spanish paprika, 'pimentón' is coarser and can also be either 'sweet' or 'hot' (dulce or pikante). In any case, look for bright red colour. If it is brown, it is too old.

Where's the fire?
What puts the heat in chilli peppers is a colourless, odourless alkaloid called capsaicin (kap-SAY-ih-sin) which is produced by the white membrane attached to the ribs of the pepper. The seeds are not hot in themselves, but pick up the heat by their close proximity to the membrane. Capsaicin stimulates the pain receptors of broken skin or soft tissues such as the mouth, nose and eye areas and cause these areas to 'water' which spreads the effect - which is why reaching for a glass of water or other liquid such as beer or wine is like applying a blowtorch. The best and quickest relief is a small mouthful of yoghurt or milk held in the mouth for a few seconds. It is the casein (milk protein) that neutralizes the effect of the capsaicin. It is not without reason that raita, a yoghurt based side dish, is often served along with Indian curries.

The degree of heat in peppers is measured using the Scoville Scale. Mild peppers such as bell peppers are 0 SHU (Scovill Heat Units), cayenne at 30,000 to 50,000 and the hellish hananero at an impressive 100,000 to 300,000 SHU.

But don't confuse hotness with flavour - which is a little like confusing quantity with quality. The flavour of a pepper is in the fleshy outer tissue. Colour can be a good indicator, though not absolutely infallible. As a general rule, the stronger the colour, the fuller the flavour. 

Dishes that are overly hot, as if to dare the diner to try them, belong in the competitive arena and have little to do with quality. Dishes that are so hot that the ears smoke and the eyes bulge are culinary jokes. But it seems this is a means to prove one's prowess, manliness, toughness or holier-than-thou-ness (or rather, hotter-than-thou)! 

The problem with 'getting used to the heat' is that one can become addicted in a way, much like there are 'fat-aholics' who feel a dish 'has no flavour' unless it has been cooked with a lot of oil (or butter) or fried. Fat/oil is a flavour carrier. Those raised on too much of it, miss it…and invariably develop health problems and cannot enjoy less fat or low fat foods. Those who have acclimated themselves to the heat of capsicum are forever searching for the fire and reaching for the Tabasco sauce.

Me, I prefer mild to reasonably hot. I define 'reasonable' as not competing with the other flavours of my food yet definitely raising my eyebrows and eliciting a 'woo' and a smile! Tasting the rest of the flavours of the food in front of me is more important than proving whether or not I can survive the fire test. I don't want my taste buds in a coma, I want them tingling for what is to come. Hot balanced with cool or a tease of sour or sweet or other aromatic spices is intriguing to my taste buds. My favourite hot cuisines? Indian, Indonesian (very wide choice) and Thai. Yes, I like some Mexican dishes, but I prefer the rich variety of aromas of the other mentioned cuisines. 

Safety in Handling
Sweet peppers need no special handling, but any cook who has inadvertently mishandled a dried chili and later rubbed her eye will tell you that all chilies are to be handled with respect. Wear gloves when cutting or otherwise handling chillies. Rinse off the cutting board with a little milk and then soapy water to avoid transferring the heat. If you do accidentally touch your eyes, absolutely resist flushing them with water. Instead, reach for the milk bottle or pat a little yoghurt over the eye. Yes, this is messy but will offer instant relief. After a minute or so, test and rinse with water.

Chillies are stimulants and are used in digestive tonics. In hot climates, chillies are an excellent disinfectant, hence they can help conserve food.  The cayenne pepper is helpful in fever treatment and aids indigestion. 

Sweet Peppers
If chillies are hellishly hot, then sweet peppers are certainly the heavenly counterpart. Bell peppers, named so because of their bell shape, are the most commonly known, are the juiciest and most colourful of the sweet pepper varieties. Colours can range from green, red, yellow, orange, brown and deep purple as well as shades in between and variegations. The green bell pepper is juicy and bitter-sweet. The red bell pepper is a mature green pepper that has been left on the vine longer and is much sweeter because of the longer ripening process. Because of their shape, bell peppers are ideal for stuffing.

Another favourite sweet pepper, large and almost heart shaped is the pimento, most famous for stuffing olives. These peppers are easily found tinned or bottled, marinated or not and ready to use as a garnish or in recipes.

Sweet peppers are an integral ingredient in the famous Cuban and Puerto Rican 'sofrito' a basis for many delicious dishes. Of course chopped onion, garlic, sometimes tomato and always good olive oil comprise the rest of a good sofrito with slight variations of more or less of an ingredient.

Repeating Problems 
Also known as 'burping' is caused by difficulty digesting peppers. In most cases it is the skin that is the culprit and removing it prior to use is usually the solution. Another tip is to puree the 'sofrito' or sauce you may be using the peppers in or mincing the peppers very finely, both methods help the stomach to digest the offender. It would be a pity to avoid peppers entirely without first trying the above tricks.

Removing the Skin
Peeling peppers first softens them, makes them better able to absorb and to release their own flavours more efficiently into a dish. For small quantities, cut wide, even strips and remove as if you were removing the skin from a tomato using the knife method. (Lay the strip skin side down on a cutting board. At the right edge, make a starting cut between the skin and the meat. Angle the knife so that the thicker side of the knife is flat with the board and the blade is parallel to the board. This will create a thin space between the cutting edge and the board. The thickness of the knife creates a guide. Using a long, gliding movement cut towards the left. It is important that the knife handle is not touching the board, but rather in front of the edge of the board. A little practice and you will be trimming tomatoes, peppers and fruit like a professional chef!)

Another method is to use a vegetable peeler, but depending on the shape of the pepper, this can be tricky.

A delicious way to remove the skin is the roasting method. Heat the upper grill of the oven to hot and lay the peppers on a baking sheet in the upper third of the oven. Roast until one side is black and turn. When they are completely black, they are ready. Place in a paper or plastic bag and close tightly. Leave for about 15 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, pull away the stems, remove the seeds and slip or peel off the skin. It will come off easily enough, but resist rinsing under water. This will rinse away much of the delicious flavour. Remember to wear gloves when handling the chilli type peppers. This is the best method if you wish to marinate the peppers in a vinaigrette as they are tender and have a delicious slightly smoky, roasted flavour!

Picking Peppers
Not from the vine, but from the green grocers. Look for peppers that seem heavy for their size, are glossy, bright and unbruised. Pass over any that seem dull, show signs of shriveling and seem otherwise unhappy. Red, yellow and orange varieties are especially sweet and excellent for raw platters and salads. Peppers are an excellent source of Vit. C, have a good amount of Vit. A, some calcium and iron. Reach for pieces of peppers for a healthy snack!

Suggestions:

baked - These are usually stuffed as are Stuffed Green Peppers (or red) so common in most culinary cuisines from Turkish to Egyptian, throughout Europe and of course the Americas.  Every country has its favourite  filling, but often rice or a combination of rice with a meat such as lamb or beef is used.  

cooked - Chopped from fine to coarse is the usual form that peppers are used and added to other ingredients or dishes.

fried -  Fried peppers, a favourite in Hispanic and Latin countries.  Another favourite is to fry them, then add an acidic agent such as balsamic vinegar, other vinegar of choice or lemon, salt and marinating for several hours before serving as an appetizer.  Peeling after frying depends on taste.

grains - They can be filled with such grains as millet, rice or bulghur etc. or used as part of a 'sofrito' of onion, chopped peppers of choice and garlic. 

herbs - Almost all herbs known to the Mediterranean areas dance well with peppers except perhaps mint, lavender or dill that seem lost or misplaced.

raw -  Alone or in a salad like tomatoes, this is the healthiest way to eat them.  Very high in vitamins as mentioned above as well as anti-oxidant properties.. 

roasted - Wonderful roasted alone or with other vegetables such as aubergine, onion, garlic and tomatoes.  Green 'Bell Peppers', because of their thicker skin may need a head start when roasted with other vegetables.  Roast similarly to tomatoes at a high heat, scraping off the blacked skin when done.

sautéed - This method usually is for the famous 'sofrito', and is the starting point for many, many  Hispanic, Latin and Caribbean dishes from Spain to Cuba to Central and South Americas.  A sofrito is composed of green or red peppers or mix thereof, garlic and onions sautéed in olive oil with tomatoes added optionally later.  Slight variations exist between Cuba and Puerto Rico where an olive oil infused with achiote, the rust-red seed of the annatto tree is used for colouring.  It is an important ingredient in the 'Holy Trinity' of Cajun cooking, where onions, bell peppers and celery form that cuisine's basis.  It is also the foundation of Northern Italian cuisine as well whereas the 'Holy Trinity' in other areas of Italy, notably Napoli/Roma/Siciliy identifies with basil, garlic and tomato..

stuffed - Just as with tomatoes, peppers can be filled with just about anything from lentils to rice and all grains in between!  Usually served hot, stuffed peppers are an international favourite.  Cut off the cap and remove the seeds and core carefully before filling.  Some recipes require that they are 'poached' in water (boring) or stock (wonderful) which is how I like to do it if I am not roasting them.  Just place in a deep enough baking dish or pan so that hot stock can be filled to just under the filling.  Place in a hot oven and bake according to size and filling.  Generalities:  A raw meat filling will take longer than an al dente cooked rice or grain filling that has some raw or cooked meat, or not, as part of the filling.   Tip:  blanch first for a few minutes in boiling water before cutting off the tops and proceeding with your recipe.  This will shorten cooking time by about 15 minutes. Baked in this way takes about 30 minutes.  Baked using raw peppers and perhaps tomato sauce or tomato sauce and a light stock will take at least 45 minutes using the bell pepper variety.  

vegetables - Peppers are compatible with many vegetables typical of the Mediterranan cuisine, such as aubergine, courgettes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, and are an important ingredient in Ratatouille - a dish associated with French Provençal cooking, but originating from the Catalan samfaina, a kind of fried vegetable dish

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