Peppers: Types, Health Benefits & How to Cook Them

Peppers — from sweet bell varieties to fiery habaneros — are among the most versatile ingredients in kitchens across Ireland. This guide covers the major types, their health benefits, and how to choose the right pepper for your cooking, backed by verified nutritional data from the Cleveland Clinic and other authoritative sources.

Last checked: 2026-08-15

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum (bell pepper), Capsicum spp. (chilli peppers) · Common Types: Bell, pointed, padron, jalapeño, cayenne, habanero, bird’s eye · Flavor Profile: Sweet and mild (bell) to intensely hot (habanero) · Primary Use: Fresh in salads, roasted, stuffed, cooked into sauces, dried as spice

What are the different types of peppers?

Peppers can be broadly divided into sweet (non-pungent) and hot (pungent) categories, though dozens of intermediate heat levels exist. Sweet bell peppers — green, red, yellow, orange, and purple — are the most widely consumed peppers globally, all belonging to Capsicum annuum. As noted by WebMD, bell peppers are technically fruits but treated as vegetables in cooking, and their lack of capsaicin makes them approachable for everyone.

Sweet peppers

Beyond standard bell peppers, varieties like padron peppers (small, mild green peppers often fried and salted) and pimento peppers (heart-shaped, sweet red peppers commonly used in pimento cheese) offer different textures and flavour profiles. Sweet pointed peppers, frequently sold in Irish supermarkets as “sweet pointed” or “romano” peppers, have thinner walls and a slightly sweeter taste than blocky bells. According to Epicurious, non-spicy bell peppers are commonly used raw in salads, roasted and peeled for antipasti, sautéed in stir-fries, or hollowed and stuffed with grains and proteins before baking.

Hot peppers

Hot peppers range from mildly warm to blisteringly hot. The heat scale is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Common examples, as listed by Cook for Your Life arranged roughly from mild to very hot, include:

• Jalapeño (2,500–8,000 SHU) — widely used fresh in salsas, pickled, or smoked as chipotle
• Serrano (10,000–23,000 SHU) — hotter than jalapeño, common in pico de gallo
• Cayenne (30,000–50,000 SHU) — typically dried and ground into powder
• Thai bird’s eye (50,000–100,000 SHU) — very hot, essential in Southeast Asian curries
• Habanero (100,000–350,000 SHU) — intensely hot with fruity undertones, used in Caribbean sauces

“Bell peppers are nutrient-dense. They’re low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and contain almost no fat.”

— Cleveland Clinic editorial team

Common pepper varieties available in Ireland

In Irish supermarkets, bell peppers in green, red, yellow, and orange are available year-round. Sweet pointed red peppers often retail around €1.69 for a pack of two, while loose bell peppers can cost about €6.50 per kg at local grocers. Padron peppers and jalapeños appear seasonally in larger supermarkets and specialty grocers.

The bottom line: Understanding the sweet-versus-hot divide and the specific heat level of any pepper helps home cooks choose the right ingredient for everything from a mild Sunday roast to a spicy Thai curry.

What are the benefits of eating peppers?

Peppers pack a range of vitamins and bioactive compounds that offer measurable health advantages.

Vitamin C and antioxidants

Bell peppers stand out for their vitamin C content. One cup of chopped raw red bell pepper provides about 191 mg of vitamin C — more than double the daily recommended intake for most adults. The Cleveland Clinic also reports that bell peppers are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins A and E and contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene that support eye health and may reduce oxidative stress. Red peppers generally contain about 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C than green bell peppers, according to PostHarvest.

Capsaicin and metabolism

Capsaicin, the compound responsible for hot peppers’ pungency, has been studied for potential health benefits beyond flavour. Medical News Today summarises research indicating that capsaicin may aid in pain relief, reduce inflammation, and improve markers of metabolic syndrome. Some studies suggest that Capsicum annuum consumption may help lower high blood cholesterol and triglycerides, according to the Netmeds Health Library, though researchers note the evidence is still emerging.

“Capsicum serves as the scientific designation for peppers, which are rich in vital nutrients like vitamin C and fiber.”

— Verywell Health editors

Why this matters: Regular consumption of bell peppers contributes to immune support via vitamin C, while hot peppers may offer metabolic and anti-inflammatory benefits — though spicier varieties should be approached by heat tolerance, not assumed health outcome.

Which color pepper is healthiest?

Nutritional comparison by color

Bell pepper color indicates ripeness, not just pigmentation. Green peppers are harvested earliest, before full maturity; yellow, orange, and red peppers ripen progressively longer on the vine. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this ripening process changes the nutrient profile noticeably. Red bell peppers contain the highest levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene among the color variants. WebMD adds that red bell pepper is one of the few Capsicum varieties with little to no capsaicin, making it both the most nutrient-dense sweet option and the least pungent.

Yellow and orange peppers fall between green and red in their carotenoid content, with some evidence they are particularly rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, both linked to eye health. Green bell peppers, while lower in some vitamins than their fully ripe counterparts, still provide meaningful nutrition — they offer slightly more fiber than red peppers due to their thicker cell walls, and remain a good source of vitamins C and K.

The bottom line: If maximizing vitamin C and beta-carotene intake is the goal, red bell peppers are the best choice. For those who prefer a firmer, slightly more bitter crunch, green peppers offer a different texture and still-solid nutritional value.

What are the most common peppers?

Bell peppers

Sweet bell peppers are the most widely consumed pepper globally, appearing in cuisines from European salads to Asian stir-fries. According to Nutrition Advance, bell peppers are notable for being non-spicy compared with other Capsicum peppers, which explains their universal appeal — they add colour, crunch, and sweetness without heat.

Jalapeños

Jalapeño is the most popular chilli in the United States and increasingly common in Irish cooking. It appears fresh in salsas and nachos, pickled on sandwiches, and smoked and dried as chipotle. Its moderate heat makes it accessible to many palates while still delivering noticeable warmth.

Cayenne

Though often recognised as a dried red powder, cayenne begins as a long, thin red chilli. It is commonly dried and ground into powder and used worldwide to add heat to soups, stews, and spice blends. Urban Snackers notes that hot peppers like cayenne are widely used to make salsas, chili pastes, hot sauces, and to infuse oils, with heat level often guided by the Scoville scale in recipes and product labeling.

The implication: The three most common pepper types — bell, jalapeño, and cayenne — neatly represent the full spectrum from zero heat through moderate kick to concentrated spice, covering the majority of everyday cooking needs.

How to cook with different pepper varieties

Each pepper type suggests a different preparation method. Bell peppers shine in raw applications — sliced into crudité platters, chopped into salads, or blended into gazpacho. Roasting bell peppers brings out their natural sugars and softens their texture, making them ideal for antipasti, pasta sauces, or use in Italian peperonata. Stuffed bell peppers (filled with rice, mince, and herbs) remain a classic comfort dish across many cultures where the pepper serves as an edible vessel.

Hot peppers require more considered handling. Jalapeños can be slit and stuffed with cheese (jalapeño poppers), sliced fresh onto tacos, or fermented into hot sauce. Serranos work well in pico de gallo and Thai green curry paste. Dried chilies like cayenne or árbol are best toasted briefly in a dry pan before grinding or steeping in oil. As Epicurious notes, understanding the intended heat level and flavour profile of each pepper helps home cooks match the variety to the dish without overpowering other ingredients.

Cooking methods also affect perceived heat. Capsaicin is oil-soluble, so sautéing or frying hot peppers in oil will distribute their heat throughout the dish. Cooking in water (boiling or steaming) removes some capsaicin from the pepper into the water, which is then discarded, reducing final spiciness.

The catch: Removing seeds and membranes from hot peppers reduces heat but also strips away some of the pepper’s volatile flavour compounds. For a balanced result, leave some membranes intact unless maximum reduction is required.

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For those looking to put their knowledge into practice, this guide covers how to roast sweet peppers using various methods like oven, stove, and air fryer.

Frequently asked questions about peppers