Red pepper, bell pepper, capsicum – The history of the discovery of the world (from European perspective) and the  history of Spices are so entwined. Columbus sailed west hoping to find a quicker route to India and break the arabian  monopolopy on black pepper (that had to pass thru the deserts on the way to Europe)…. he ‘bumped’ into the West Indies, and the america’s. There is found chilli and hoped it was ‘red pepper’. Of course it is an entirely different family (capsicum)… But they were welcomed in Europe and indeed it was the Portuguese that introduced them to India and Asia. Interestingly, it was from Europe that they arrived in the USA.

‘Peppers, paprikas or capsicums’  as a vegetable come in a range of colours – green, yellow and red.  They are mildly nutritious and cleansing and slightly warming (unlike their sisters, chilli pepper that is hot to very very hot). Excellent for kapha raw, they are best cooked for pitta and vata (except in a summer salad).