A brief history of bell pepper and its nutritional value (Ⅰ)

Mexico is believed to be the centre of origin of Bell Pepper(Capsicum Annuum). As one of the earliest domesticated plants in Central America, bell peppers have been widely known since the beginning of civilization in the Western Hemisphere, and have been part of the human diet since 7500 BC.


It was either Christopher Columbus or his accompanying physician Chanca who first reported the use of bell peppers in the Americas around 1493-1494, and Columbus introduced it to Europe later. By the middle of the 17th century, as a spice and medicinal drug, bell peppers had been grown throughout southern and central Europe. About this period, one species was introduced to Japan and five species were introduced to India. Bell peppers were introduced to Asia through South American trade routes by Portuguese and Spanish explorers till the 18th century.


Bell pepper is listed as a ‘casual alien, cultivation escape, environmental weed, garden thug, naturalized, weed’ in the Global Compendium of Weeds. It is known to have escaped cultivation in Finland and is an agricultural weed in Western Europe. Sweet bell peppers are invasive and may pose a threat to native flora, including high-yield seeds that are sown through human and animal consumption of fruits, and widespread distribution outside their native range. According to reports, the risk of introducing sweet bell peppers is also high due to severe pests associated with this species.


Bell peppers have a positive effect on health. It is the main ingredient in most global cuisines and is said to be beneficial to health. In addition to being the most widely grown fragrance in the world, this species is also used in medicine, natural pigments and cosmetics, as an ornamental plant and as an active ingredient in self-defense mosquito repellent.

References

“Bell and Chili Peppers”. Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, US Department of Agriculture.2018
“Bell and chile peppers” (PDF). US Western Institute for Food Safety and Security. 2018
Britton NL. Flora of Bermuda. New York, USA: Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1918
Chemical food safety. Brimer, L. 2011
“Capsicum annuum (Grossum Group) (Bell Pepper, Red pepper, Sweet Pepper) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox”. plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved. 2020
Paprika: A Spicy Memoir from Hungary；Joanne Sasvari. 2016
USDA-NRCS. The PLANTS Database. Baton Rouge, USA: National Plant Data Center. 2014
“Vegetable of the Month: Bell Pepper”. CDC Fruit & Vegetable of the Month. 2012