18 Types of Peppers and How to Cook With Them

Truly international in their appeal, peppers—some might say chiles—are integral to cuisines worldwide. All types of peppers are part of the genus Capsicum, including hot and sweet varieties. According to Danise Coon, senior research specialist at New Mexico State University‘s Chile Pepper Institute, “chile” generally refers to a pepper that’s spicy, while a “pepper” can either be sweet or spicy. But naming conventions vary by region, so don’t hold hard and fast to these definitions.

The heat of a pepper is measured using Scoville units, a scale that ranges from zero (as in bell peppers, with absolutely no heat) up to 2,690,000 (Pepper X, a.k.a. the spiciest chile in the world). Most chiles fall somewhere in the middle. A chile’s heat directly corresponds to its level of capsaicin, a naturally occurring compound, which likely developed as a deterrent to predators. While the Scoville scale is a good base for knowing how hot your chiles might be, their heat can fluctuate due to climate and other factors. The more stress a plant is exposed to (heat stress, water stress, environmental stress), the more capsaicin it will accumulate.

Below, we’ve outlined 18 varieties of peppers commonly found in the United States in their fresh state (many of which take on another name when dried) and how to cook with each. If you‘re having trouble finding these in your local grocery store, try an online source like Happy Quail Farms or La Tienda.

Some general guidelines on peppers:

• Peppers tend to be green in their youth, then transition to yellow and orange before reaching bright red at full maturity.
• The smaller the pepper, the hotter it is.
• When handling hot peppers, always wear gloves to protect your skin from burns and never touch your eyes.
• If you want the flavor without mouth-scorching fire, remove the seeds and interior ribs from a chile before cooking it. (Even for some mild peppers like bell peppers, you’ll want to remove the ribs and seeds for textural reasons and because they can be quite bitter.)
• It’s a good idea to have dairy products, such as milk or yogurt, on hand. These ingredients contain casein, which helps neutralize capsaicin. Pepper breeder Ed Currie recommends using products with citric acid, such as pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, or lime wedges, which he says “break up the oil that holds the capsaicin.” You can swish and spit (recommended) or swallow if preferred.
• Other ways to tame the heat level of chiles include soaking them in alcohol or pairing them with certain ingredients such as bread or eggs.