Pilipili ni a viungo made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from Viazi aina mbalimbali katika Longum kikundi, ikiwa ni pamoja na pilipili hoho. Paprika inaweza kuwa na viwango tofauti vya joto, lakini pilipili hoho zinazotumiwa kwa paprika huwa si laini na zina nyama nyembamba kuliko zile zinazozalishwa. unga wa pilipili. In some languages, but not English, the word paprika pia inarejelea mmea na matunda ambayo viungo vinatengenezwa, na pia pilipili kwenye Grossum. kikundi (kwa mfano, pilipili hoho).
Aina zote za capsicum zimetokana na mababu wa porini Marekani Kaskazini, hasa Mexico ya kati, where they have been cultivated for centuries. The peppers were subsequently introduced to the Ulimwengu wa Kale, pilipili zilipoletwa Uhispania katika karne ya 16. Viungo hutumiwa kuongeza ladha na rangi kwa aina nyingi za sahani katika vyakula mbalimbali.
Biashara ya paprika ilipanuka kutoka Peninsula ya Iberia kwa Afrika na Asia[6]: 8 and ultimately reached Ulaya ya Kati kupitia kwa Balkan, ambayo wakati huo ilikuwa chini Ottoman kanuni. Hii inasaidia kuelezea Kiserbo-Croatian asili ya neno la Kiingereza.
Katika Kihispania, paprika imekuwa ikijulikana kama pimentón tangu karne ya 16, wakati ikawa kiungo cha kawaida katika vyakula vya magharibi Estremadura.Licha ya uwepo wake katika Ulaya ya Kati tangu mwanzo wa ushindi wa Ottoman, haukuwa maarufu nchini Hungaria until the late 19th century. Now, more than 70% paprika are planted and harvested from China origin.
Paprika can range from mild to hot – the flavor also varies from country to country – but almost all plants grown produce the sweet variety. Sweet paprika is mostly composed of the pericarp, na zaidi ya nusu ya mbegu zimeondolewa, ambapo paprika ya moto ina baadhi ya mbegu, mabua; mayai, na calyces. The red, orange or yellow color of paprika is due to its content of carotenoids.