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cayenne pepper
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Cayenne pepper
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Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper Source of a pungent spice of the same name, cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a small-fruited pepper in the nightshade family.

cayenne pepper

spice and cultivar, Capsicum annuum
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cayenne pepper, (Capsicum annuum), small-fruited pepper, the source of a very pungent spice of the same name. The cayenne pepper is one of many chili pepper cultivars of Capsicum annuum and is said to have originated in Cayenne, French Guiana. The spice is produced by drying and grinding the orange to deep-red fruits and derives its piquant flavor from the chemical capsaicin.

Taxonomy

See also list of plants in the family Solanaceae and list of herbs and spices.

Both fresh cayenne peppers and the spice derived from them are used extensively in Creole and Cajun cooking in the United States and in the cuisines of Mexico, Italy, and China as well as throughout much of Southeast Asia. Cayenne peppers are rich in vitamins and are used in traditional medicine and pharmaceutical preparations for pain relief and the treatment of other maladies.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Gitanjali Roy.
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