Thursday, August 23, 2007

Capsicum

Capsicum is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to Mexico, and now cultivated worldwide. The fruits of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type. They are commonly called chili pepper, red or green pepper, or just pepper. The original Mexican term, chilli (now chile in Spanish) came from Nahuatl word chilli or xilli, referring to a huge Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC.

Red peppers grow so easily in Miami. I rarely use these, but have friends and relatives that will even pay me for them. When a kid, I was told that feeding parrots these hot, hot, hot fruits (yes, they are considered fruits, and they are readily hot when they turn red) would make them learn to talk faster. Never knew whether that's true.

Red Peppers

2 comments:

  1. Oh I know these. We have them as indoor plants, where I come from. But i always thought you were not supposed to eat those little peppers.

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  2. Ha! I heard that about the parrots too Lan :) I fed them to my parrot and he never learned to talk at all! lol :-D

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