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The common pepper, also known as bell pepper or sweet pepper, is the fruit of Capsicum annuum var. annuum, a tropical perennial plant in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, native to Mesoamerica and now cultivated worldwide. The pepper develops from a single flower and consists of a hollow fruit with thick walls, typically containing numerous small, flat seeds. The plant produces fruits in various colors—green (immature), red, yellow, orange, and purple (fully mature)—each representing different stages of ripeness and corresponding variations in sweetness and flavor complexity. The flavor profile evolves from grassy and slightly bitter in green peppers to increasingly sweet, fruity, and complex in red and other mature varieties.

The texture is crisp and waxy when raw, becoming tender and slightly caramelized when cooked. Sweet peppers contain no piperine (the compound responsible for the heat in chili peppers) and are therefore entirely mild. Various cultivars and heirloom varieties exist, each with distinct characteristics affecting culinary application.

Peppers are used extensively across global cuisines as both a raw and cooked ingredient. Raw, they are sliced into salads, used as crudités with dips, or incorporated into fresh salsas and relishes. Cooked applications include sautéing, roasting, grilling, stuffing, and braising in dishes such as ratatouille, pipérade, fajitas, and Spanish-style pepper stews. Roasted peppers are peeled and marinated in oil, often served as a meze or component of composed dishes. They provide sweetness, body, and umami depth when reduced or caramelized. Peppers are foundational in Mediterranean, Latin American, Asian, and Eastern European cooking, valued both for their distinctive flavor and visual appeal. Their versatility extends to purees, pastes, and powders for seasoning applications.