Peppers can be broken down into four major categories: bell peppers, sweet peppers, mild chile peppers and hot chile peppers.
Here’s how to choose the best varieties for color, shape, and flavor:
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers have the thickest flesh of all peppers and a mild and fruity flavor. They come in a rainbow of colors including the traditional green, red, orange, yellow, and purple. The green and yellow tend to have the sweetest flavor, while the orange, red and purple have a zestier flavor. Most start out green and then turn color as they mature.
Sweet Peppers
These peppers pack a lot of flavor without a lot of heat. They are usually thin-walled and less juicy than other pepper types but exceptional for cooking. They vary in shape from elongated and pointed to heart-shaped or rounded. These include the apple, banana, ‘Carmen’, cherry, ‘Corno di Toro,’ ‘Gypsy,’ ‘Italian,’ ‘Marconi,’ pepperoncini, pimento and ‘Santa Fe. ‘
Mild Chile Peppers
These peppers have a mildly hot and spicy flavor and can be used to spice up dishes where a little heat is needed. They can be dried or be eaten fresh or roasted and added to salads, salsas or dips. Varieties in this category include Anaheim, ancho poblano (perfect for chiles rellenos), cascabel, española, mariachi, mulato and sandia.
Hot Chile Peppers
If you want some heat, then these are the peppers for you! These guys pack a punch and are not for the meek of heart. They’re loaded with flavor and tend to be thin skinned and smaller in size than other peppers. We recommend handling these with gloves (it’s hard to get pepper juice off your hands). If you aren’t sure of a variety, remove the seeds and veins from them before cooking and eating; then do a lot of taste-testing. It’s easier to add more heat to a dish than to take it out. These hotties include cayenne, chipotle, habanero, hot cherry, Hungarian yellow, jalapeño, pasilla, pequin, serrano, Scotch bonnet, tabasco and Thai dragon.