Chili pepper (chilli pepper,
chilli, chili, chile) is the fruit of the plants from the genus Capsicum,
members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Botany considers the plant a
berry bush. Though chilis may be thought of as a vegetable, their culinary
use is generally as a spice. It is the fruit that is usually harvested.Chili
peppers and their cultivars originate in the Americas; they are now grown
around the world because they are widely used as spices or vegetables in cuisine,
and as medicine. They are rich in vitamin C. Psychologist Paul Rozin suggests that eating
chilis is an example of a "constrained risk" like riding a roller
coaster, in which extreme sensations like pain and fear can be enjoyed because
individuals know that these sensations are not actually harmful.
