Chili vs. Pepper: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Chili refers to hot, spicy pods from certain plants, or a dish made with them; pepper generally denotes the spice made from dried pepper fruits or the plants producing them.
Key Differences
"Chili" primarily refers to the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, known for their spicy flavor due to the presence of capsaicin. These fruits vary in size, color, and heat level. "Pepper," in a broad sense, can refer to both the black, white, and green peppercorns (from Piper nigrum) and various types of Capsicum fruits. However, it is more commonly associated with the former, used as a spice in cooking.
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Nov 18, 2023
When talking about "chili," one might also refer to chili powder, a spice made from ground dried chilies, or to chili con carne, a dish featuring chilies. In contrast, "pepper" can signify the black, white, or green peppercorns or ground pepper spice, often paired with salt in Western cuisine. The term can also encompass bell peppers, which are mild varieties of the Capsicum family.
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Nov 18, 2023
The heat of a chili is measured on the Scoville scale, which ranges from mild bell peppers to extremely hot varieties like the Carolina Reaper. Meanwhile, "pepper" as a spice (black or white) does not possess the same kind of heat due to capsaicin but instead has a pungent flavor derived from piperine.
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Nov 18, 2023
In culinary use, "chili" is often used to add heat and flavor to dishes, and is a staple in many cuisines, especially in Mexican and Indian cooking. "Pepper," particularly black pepper, is a ubiquitous spice in global cuisines, prized for its ability to enhance the overall flavor profile of a dish without adding the distinctive heat of chilies.
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Nov 18, 2023
Lastly, in botany, chili plants (Capsicum species) are part of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, and are native to the Americas. In contrast, the pepper plant (Piper nigrum) belongs to the Piperaceae family and is native to South India, highlighting their different botanical origins and characteristics.
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Nov 18, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Botanical Classification
Fruit of Capsicum plants, part of Solanaceae.
Fruit of Piper nigrum or Capsicum plants.
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Flavor Profile
Spicy due to capsaicin.
Pungent, with black pepper having piperine.
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Culinary Uses
Adds heat to dishes, used in various cuisines.
Enhances overall flavor, a common spice.
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Types and Varieties
Includes sweet to extremely hot varieties.
Includes black, white, green, and bell types.
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Geographic Origin
Native to the Americas.
Black pepper from South India, Capsicum worldwide.
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Chili and Pepper Definitions
Chili
A stew-like dish, often with beans and meat.
He cooked a big pot of chili for the cold evening.
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Nov 18, 2023
Pepper
A pungent spice obtained from dried Piper nigrum fruits.
Freshly ground black pepper was added to the soup.
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Nov 18, 2023
Chili
A plant producing hot, flavorful pods.
Their garden has several varieties of chili plants.
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Nov 18, 2023
Pepper
Ground or whole peppercorns used in seasoning.
She seasoned the steak with salt and pepper.
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Nov 18, 2023
Chili
A spicy fruit of plants from the Capsicum genus.
She added fresh chili to the salsa for extra heat.
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Nov 18, 2023
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Pepper
A perennial climbing vine (Piper nigrum) native to India, widely cultivated for its long slender spikes of small fruit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Chili
A powdered spice made from dried and ground chilies.
Chili powder is essential in many Mexican dishes.
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Nov 18, 2023
Pepper
A pungent black or white spice produced from the dried fruit of this plant, used as a condiment.
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Oct 19, 2023
Chili
The pungent fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum, used especially as a flavoring in cooking. Also called chili pepper.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Any of several other plants of the genus Piper, such as cubeb, betel, and kava.
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Oct 19, 2023
Chili
A stew made of meat or beans (or both) and usually tomatoes, spiced with chili peppers or chili powder.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Any of several tropical American, cultivated varieties of capsicum, having podlike, many-seeded, fruit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Chili
(countable) The pungent, spicy fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum peppers, used in cooking.
Chili pepper
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
The podlike fruit of any of these plants, varying in size, shape, color, and degree of pungency, with the milder types including the bell pepper and pimiento, and the more pungent types including the habanero.
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Chili
(uncountable) Powdered chili pepper, used as a spice or flavouring in cooking.
Chili powder
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Pepper
Any of various condiments made from the more pungent varieties of capsicum, such as cayenne pepper, tabasco pepper, and chili. Also called hot pepper.
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Oct 19, 2023
Chili
(Indian Chinese cuisine) A spicy stew of chicken or paneer, capsicum and onion, eaten as an appetizer.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Any of various other plants producing pungent fruits, such as the Szechuan pepper.
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Chili
A dish made with chili peppers and other ingredients, such as beans and beef.
Chili con carne
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Pepper
(Baseball) A warm-up exercise in which players standing a short distance from a batter field the ball and toss it to the batter, who hits each toss back to the fielders. Also called pepper game.
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Pepper
To sprinkle liberally; scatter
Peppered the confetti over the street.
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Chili
Ground beef and chili peppers or chili powder often with tomatoes and kidney beans
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
To strew something over
"Large splinters and chunks of timber peppered the ground" (John Guy).
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Chili
The pod of a chili plant, used in cooking for spiciness.
She chopped a red chili to sprinkle over the pizza.
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Nov 18, 2023
Pepper
(uncountable) A spice prepared from the fermented, dried, unripe berries of this plant.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
A bell pepper, a fruit of the capsicum plant: red, green, yellow or white, hollow and containing seeds, and in very spicy and mild varieties.Surely "pepper" covers all varieties as in most of this definition, while "bell pepper" and "capsicum" only refer to the large roundish mild varieties specifically
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Pepper
(baseball) A game used by baseball players to warm up where fielders standing close to a batter rapidly return the batted ball to be hit again
Some ballparks have signs saying "No pepper games".
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
(cryptography) A randomly-generated value that is added to another value (such as a password) prior to hashing. Unlike a salt, a new one is generated for each value and it is held separately from the value.
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Pepper
(transitive) To cover with lots of (something made up of small things).
After the hailstorm, the beach was peppered with holes.
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Pepper
(transitive) To add (something) at frequent intervals.
He liked to pepper his conversation with long words.
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Pepper
A well-known, pungently aromatic condiment, the dried berry, either whole or powdered, of the Piper nigrum.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
The plant which yields pepper, an East Indian woody climber (Piper nigrum), with ovate leaves and apetalous flowers in spikes opposite the leaves. The berries are red when ripe. Also, by extension, any one of the several hundred species of the genus Piper, widely dispersed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the earth.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Any plant of the genus Capsicum (of the Solanaceae family, which are unrelated to Piper), and its fruit; red pepper; chili pepper; as, the bell pepper and the jalapeno pepper (both Capsicum annuum) and the habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense); . These contain varying levels of the substance capsaicin (C18H27O3N), which gives the peppers their hot taste. The habanero is about 25-50 times hotter than the jalapeno according to a scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. See also Capsicum and http://www.chili-pepper-plants.com/.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Figuratively: To shower shot or other missiles, or blows, upon; to pelt; to fill with shot, or cover with bruises or wounds; as, to pepper him with buckshot.
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Pepper
Climber having dark red berries (peppercorns) when fully ripe; southern India and Sri Lanka; naturalized in northern Burma and Assam
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Pepper
Any of various tropical plants of the genus Capsicum bearing peppers
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Pungent seasoning from the berry of the common pepper plant of East India; use whole or ground
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
Attack and bombard with or as if with missiles;
Pelt the speaker with questions
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Oct 19, 2023
Pepper
A mild Capsicum variety, like bell peppers.
He sliced a green pepper for the salad.
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Nov 18, 2023
Pepper
A plant that produces peppercorns, used as a spice.
Pepper vines are cultivated in their backyard.
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Nov 18, 2023
Pepper
A term encompassing various Capsicum fruits.
Different types of pepper add varying flavors to dishes.
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Nov 18, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is black pepper spicy like chili?
No, black pepper is pungent but not typically spicy like chili.
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Nov 18, 2023
What is the main component in chili that makes it hot?
Capsaicin is the component that gives chili its heat.
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What is white pepper?
White pepper is made from the ripe seeds of Piper nigrum.
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Nov 18, 2023
Can eating chili have health benefits?
Yes, chilies have various health benefits, including vitamin C and metabolism boosting.
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Do all chilies have the same level of heat?
No, chilies vary greatly in heat, measured on the Scoville scale.
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Nov 18, 2023
Is bell pepper a type of chili?
Yes, bell pepper is a mild type of Capsicum, often not considered spicy.
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Nov 18, 2023
What’s the hottest type of chili?
Varieties like the Carolina Reaper are among the hottest chilies.
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How is chili powder different from chilies?
Chili powder is made from dried and ground chilies.
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Nov 18, 2023
Can chili be used in desserts?
Yes, chili can be used in desserts for a spicy twist.
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Nov 18, 2023
How do you store fresh pepper?
Fresh pepper, like black peppercorns, should be stored in a cool, dry place.
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Nov 18, 2023
Is pepper native to the Americas?
Black pepper is native to South India, while Capsicum peppers are from the Americas.
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Why is pepper often paired with salt?
Pepper and salt are a classic pairing, enhancing the overall flavor of dishes.
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Are pepper and paprika the same?
No, paprika is a different spice, often made from a variety of Capsicum.
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Is green pepper as spicy as red pepper?
This varies; some green peppers can be as spicy as red ones, while others are milder.
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Nov 18, 2023
Are chili flakes the same as ground chili?
No, chili flakes are crushed, dried chilies, not as finely ground as chili powder.
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Nov 18, 2023
Can chilies be dried and stored?
Yes, chilies can be dried for long-term storage.
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Nov 18, 2023
What are some health benefits of pepper?
Pepper has benefits like antibacterial properties and nutrient absorption enhancement.
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Nov 18, 2023
Is pepper good for digestion?
Yes, black pepper is known to aid in digestion.
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Nov 18, 2023
Can you grow chili plants at home?
Yes, chili plants can be grown in gardens or pots.
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Nov 18, 2023
What dishes are commonly made with chili?
Chili is used in a variety of dishes, from curries to salsas.
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Nov 18, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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