Short answers, pulled from the story.
Bell peppers originated in Bolivia and Brazil. Capsicum was transported from there into Mesoamerica and the Caribbean before the arrival of Europeans, where it was domesticated and gave rise to the cayenne, jalapeno, tabasco, and bell pepper varieties.
Pepper seeds reached Spain in 1493, the East Indies by 1540, and India by 1542. The Portuguese played the primary role in spreading peppers to Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.
The name Capsicum is linked to either the Greek word kapto, meaning to bite, or the Latin capsa, meaning box. The term bell pepper itself was first recorded in use in 1683.
Yes. Red bell peppers are simply ripened green bell peppers. Most fruits start green and change color as they mature; the Permagreen variety is an exception that stays green even when fully ripe.
A 100-gram serving of raw red bell pepper provides 158% of the Daily Value for vitamin C. Red bell peppers also contain more vitamin C and vitamin A than green bell peppers.
Vietnam was the leading producer in 2024 with 262,230 tonnes out of a world total of 933,415 tonnes. India ranked second with 126,038 tonnes and Brazil third with 124,925 tonnes.