You may call it bell pepper, chili pepper, sweet pepper or even "tanglung", the capsicum what we usually in our local supermarket comes from the Capsicum annum plant. Shaped like a decorative ornament or lantern, capsicums are fruit vegetables, belong to the nightshade family which includes members like potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. Their plump shape and glossy appearance come in a plethora of colours such as green, red, yellow, orange, purple, white, blue, ink, brown and black depending on when and where they are harvested.
Although they are varied colour, the green, red and yellow capsicums are the same fruit from the same plant but picked at different times. Since they are non-climacteric fruits (fruits that does not ripen further after harvest), they are keeping their colours. They varies in taste, as well as the nutrition content. Capsicum, in overall, is high in vitamin C and bioflavanoids, beside containing wide range of minerals. The red one taste sweeter than the yellow and the green one, thus it is also the one who provides most calories, about 32cal per 100g red capsicum (yellow, 26cal; green, 15cal). However, since every colour has its unique phytochemicals and in order to benefit from all nutrients, it is recommended to consume capsicum in colours.
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