[Aztlan] Peppers in the New World

[Bruce Rogers]

Listeeros,

A few comments concerning the apparent lack  of bell peppers in the New World:

Bell peppers: Domesticated in the Americas between about 6,000-5,000 years ago:
Ref: <http://www.ncsu.edu/sustainable/profiles/c14peppe.html>

General chilies (with a large bibliography):
<http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Caps_ann.html>

<http://www.prntrkmt.org/foods/bellpepper.html>

This site has a great search engine for finding many peppers)
<http://www.thechileman.org/results.php?chile=1&find=Any&heat=Any&origin=Any&genus=Annuum> 


Good general site with pages on the origin of chilies and a good 
explanation of the Scoville Scale  - and a reference to Vasco de Gama 
introducing  the chili to India in 1498, thus starting its 
cultivation there:
<http://www.chilly.in/chilli_varieties.htm>

And for the last word in bell pepper rates of respiration and 
pathological disorders:
<http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Produce/ProduceFacts/Veg/pepper.shtml>

Enjoy . . .

Bruce Rogers, earth scientist on a good day