There are hundreds of chile pepper cultivars across 5 domesticated species of capsicums. Some most popular and commercially important chile peppers are bell peppers/sweet peppers, jalapenos, Tabasco peppers, Habanero peppers, wax peppers, Thai peppers, Serrano peppers, and cayenne peppers. Bell peppers, jalapeños, pimientos, cayenne peppers are a type of Capsicum annum chile peppers. Tabasco peppers are a type of Capsicum frutescens while Habanero peppers are a type of Capsicum chinensis.

Bell Peppers: Scientific name of Bell pepper is Capsicum annum. The edible portion of the plant is its pod shaped fruit. It is a popular exotic vegetable used in many continental food preparations. It is a cool season vegetable. Bell pepper is also known as sweet pepper or simply, capsicum. Bell pepper can be grown both as an open field crop and as a protected greenhouse crop. Bell peppers are non-pungent chile peppers. Scoville heat index of green, fresh bell peppers is ZERO SHU.

Note: A detailed account of different types of bell peppers, their growing practices and post harvest management, and nutritional aspects is available in my book titled “Bell Peppers”.

Jalapeno Peppers: Scientific name of Jalapeno pepper is Capsicum annum var. annum. It is an herbaceous plant that is grown for their chili-like fruits. Jalapeno peppers can be grown as perennial plants in tropical and subtropical regions. However, for commercial production, they are grown as annuals to obtain high yields and to prevent production risks associated with disease-pest incidences. Scoville heat index of green, fresh jalapeno peppers is about 5,000 Scoville heat units.

Note: A detailed account of jalapeno peppers, their growing practices and post harvest management, and nutritional aspects is available in my book titled “Jalapeno Peppers”.

Anaheim Peppers or Long Green Chilies: Anaheim peppers are a type of New Mexico chile peppers. They are mildly pungent, long pod-type chile peppers that ripen from green to red; some varieties may turn yellow, orange, or brown. Green chile peppers are often dried to make red chile peppers or red chilies and red chili powder. Fruits are 5 to 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Scoville heat unit varies from 500 to 5,000 SHU.

Banana Peppers: It is a banana-shaped mildly pungent chile pepper with a Scoville heat unit of 500 SHU. Synonyms are Banana Pepper, Banana Chile, Sweet Banana Pepper, and Yellow Wax Pepper. Upon maturity, the fruit is yellow and is about 5–8 cm in length with a curved shape; at this stage, the fruit looks like a small banana, hence its name “banana peppers”. These peppers are suitable for pickling, stuffing, and for fresh consumption as garnishes and salads.

Cascabel Peppers: Cascabel peppers are a type of mildly pungent Mexican chile peppers. It is known as ‘ball chili’ because ripe fruits look like a small ball having a size of 2–3 cm in diameter. It is also known as ‘little bell chili’ or ‘rattle chili’ because when the fruits become mature and dried, the seeds become loose inside and make rattle sound when shaken. Ripe fruits turn from green to red; when dried, the red color becomes dark brown. They have a Scoville heat unit of 5,000 SHU.

Cayenne Peppers or Finger Chilies: Cayenne peppers are highly pungent, long and tapering, skinny, red-coloured hot peppers. They are also known as Guinea Peppers. Each individual fruit is about 10 to 25 cm long with a curved tip and wrinkled skin. These red chili peppers are dried and ground to make the popular ‘cayenne chili powder’. They have a Scoville heat unit of 30,000–60,000 SHU.

Chilaca Peppers and Pasilla Peppers: Chilaca peppers are long and narrow medium-hot chile peppers that are 20-22 cm long with a twisted shape. Ripe fruits turn from dark green to dark brown in colour.

Pasilla peppers are dried version of Chilaca peppers. Pasilla peppers are mild flavoured and have a Scoville heat unit of 1,000 to 4,000 SHU.

Fresno Peppers: These are medium-sized, conical-shaped, mildly pungent New Mexico type chilies. Each individual fruit is with a thick wall and measures about 2 inches in length and 1 inch in width at the base. Because of thick fruit skin, these chilies are not good for drying. Ripe fruits turn from bright green to orange and red as fully matured. Most of them are used for pickling and garnishing purposes and also for preparing various stuffed chili dishes. They have a Scoville heat unit of 2,500–5,000 SHU.

Friggitello Peppers and Peperoncini Peppers: Friggitello (plural friggitelli) is a mildly pungent, sweet Italian chili pepper with a Scoville scale of 0-500 SHU. Its common names are Golden Greek pepper, Sweet Italian pepper, or Tuscan pepper. Friggitello is suitable for fresh consumption as an ingredient in salads and sandwiches, and also for pickling, sautéing, stuffing and popping. In the USA, Friggitello or Tuscan peppers are sometimes called as “peperoncini”; but these are very different from Italian peperoncini peppers. Italian peperoncini peppers (singular peperoncino) are highly pungent hot chile peppers with a Scoville scale of 15,000–30,000 SHU. Peperoncini peppers are widely used in various Italian food preparations.

Hungarian Wax Pepper: Hungarian wax pepper is a medium hot chile pepper with a Scoville Scale varying from 1,000 to 15,000 SHU. Fruit is about 10-15cm length and tapers to a rounded point upon maturity. Ripe fruits turn from green to orange to red in color. These are suitable for pickling purposes.

Mirasol and Guajillo Peppers: Mirasol chilies are conical-shaped, thin-skinned, mildly pungent chile peppers with a fruity and berry-like flavor. Each individual fruit measures about 4-5 inches long, and 2 inches wide. Ripe fruits turn from green to red to dark red, or copper in color as fully matured. They have Scoville heat unit of 2,500 – 5,000 SHU. Dried mirasol peppers are known as Guajillo peppers and are the second most used dried chilies in Mexican foods after ancho peppers.

Pimiento or Cherry Peppers: Pimiento or Cherry peppers are non-pungent, sweet and succulent peppers with a Scoville heat unit of 100-500 SHU. Fruits are large-sized, red-coloured, and heart-shaped and measures about 7 to 10 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide. Cherry peppers are suitable for fresh consumption and for pickling, canning and stuffing purposes. Synonyms are Pimiento Peppers, Hungarian Cherry Pepper, Bird Cherry Pepper, and Creole Cherry Pepper.

Poblano Peppers and Ancho Peppers: Poblano peppers are large, heart-shaped, medium hot, thick chile peppers with a Scoville heat unit of 1500-4000 SHU. These peppers can be consumed as stuffed fresh, dried and roasted. Ancho peppers are the dried version of Poblano peppers.

Rocotillo Peppers: Rocotillo peppers are short, round, thick, little chile peppers which are mild to medium hot with a fruity flavor. They are a group of Capsicum chinense chile peppers and have a Scoville heat unit of 1500-2,500 SHU. Ripe fruits, each of which measures about 2-3cm long and 3-4cm wide, turn from green or yellow to a variety of colors, including red, orange or brown upon maturity. Rocotillo peppers may be consumed as dried chilies or as an ingredient in soups and stews and as an ingredient in sautéed vegetables.

Serrano Peppers: Serrano peppers are small, waxy green, hot peppers with a bright flavour. They are hotter than jalapenos. Ripe fruits vary in color from red, brown, orange, to yellow. They are the second most used chile peppers in Latin America (especially in Mexican food preparations) after jalapenos. They have a Scoville heat unit of 10,000 to 25,000 SHU.

Bird’s Eye Chili Peppers or Thai Peppers: These are highly pungent, conical-shaped, small, tapering chile peppers. It is also known as bird’s chili, or piri piri. Each fruit is with a fruit length of 2–3 cm containing up to 10-20 seeds per fruit. These peppers are a major ingredient in many ‘Thai’ food preparations. Ripe fruits turn from green to orange or red on maturity. They have a Scoville heat unit of 50,000–100,000 SHU.

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