Chilli

Chilli is one of the most valuable crops of India. It is grown almost throughout the country. Different varieties are grown for vegetables, spices, condiments, sauces and pickles. Chilli is also known as ‘hot pepper’ and capsicum as ‘bell pepper.’ The Portuguese brought capsicum from Brazil to India during the year 1584. Chilli is a fruit of the plants ‘capsicum annuum’ and ‘capsicum frutecens’ that come from the genus ‘capsicum,’ belonging to the family of ‘Solanaceae,’ which also includes tomato and potato. These fruits are small in size and known for their sharp acidic flavour and colour. Currently, chillies are used throughout the world as a spice and also in the making of beverages and medicines. If some varieties of chilies are famous for red colour because of the pigment ‘capsanthin,’ others are known for biting pungency attributed to ‘capsian.’ India is the only country which is rich in many varieties with different quality factors