Peppers themselves, part of the solanceae family, come in many different colors. Interestingly enough, the red variety, so favored by the Chinese, came from overseas, originating in Latin America and passing through Europe before coming to China, where it gradually made its way into the spice elite of Chinese cuisine.
「辣椒屬茄科，茄科作物色彩最多，辣椒其實也有各種顏色，只不過由綠轉紅的品種較多，加上國人喜歡紅色，十五世紀辣椒輾轉從中南美洲傳入後，經長期的篩選，才漸漸變成紅椒稱霸的場面」，蔡教授說。