chili pepper, any of several species and cultivars of very hot, pungent peppers in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Chili peppers are native to the Americas and are cultivated in warm climates around the world. Chili peppers can be eaten fresh or dried and are used to make chili powder and to flavor barbecue, hot curry, and other spicy sauces. The fruits derive their pungency from capsaicin, a substance characterized by acrid vapors and a burning taste.
See also list of plants in the family Solanaceae and list of herbs and spices.
Many of the most-common chili peppers are cultivars of Capsicum annuum, including the cayenne, jalapeño, serrano, and Thai chili peppers. Some of the hottest chili peppers are cultivars of C. chinense, including the habanero, the Carolina reaper, and the ghost chili pepper, or bhut jolokia, though tabasco is a cultivar of C. frutescens. As of 2023, the cultivar Pepper X has been recognized as the hottest in the world.
Research conducted in the 21st century has traced the origin area of domesticated Capsicum annuum chili peppers to Mexico. Other species were independently domesticated by Native peoples throughout Central and South America. Christopher Columbus is believed to have been instrumental in introducing chili peppers to Europe in the late-15th century, and crops are now grown in many countries in Asia and Africa.