Pepper

A term that is used to refer to a group of spices used for seasonings or a group of vegetables that may be sweet, bland or spicy. When used to refer to spices, the term pepper can apply to peppercorns, long peppers, or chile peppers. The peppercorns and long peppers provide white, red, pink, green, and black pepper that may be ground into a coarse, medium or fine grind for use to season foods before, during and after being prepared. Peppercorns and long peppers provide flavors that may range from spicy and fruity to piney or earthy in taste.

When used to refer to a vegetable, the pepper may be a sweet pepper, such as bell peppers that are short and round in shape, or chile peppers that are long and narrow-shaped. The sweet peppers are most often used fresh or roasted to be added to salads, meat dishes, pasta, or condiments, such as salsas and sauces. The chile peppers are similarly often used fresh for seasoning various food dishes, condiments and sauces, but are also a very common ingredient for use as a spice in a dried form, such as pepper flakes, ground chile pepper, or dried whole peppers.