Capsicums can be eaten fresh, pickled, smoked, dried or roasted. From the nightshade family, native to the Americas, the large bell peppers or capsicums commonly come in traffic-light colours: red, orange/yellow and green. The fruit of most species of capsicum contains capsaicin. This is a chemical that produces the hot pungency or spiciness – the burning sensation found in a chilli pepper. This is not a taste, rather it is a reaction. The capsaicin is not present in the seeds, as most people think, but in the membranes surrounding them; in the white bits and, to a lesser extent, in the flesh. Most mammals can “taste” the capsaicin, finding it either unpleasant or delicious depending on perspective, whereas birds are unaffected. The bright colours of the fruit attract the birds, who then devour them and distribute the seeds. These fruits come in a huge number of varieties, including paprika, jalapeno, habanero and the many varieties of chilli. The capsicum itself does not contain c