Pepper - all the same?!

When it comes to pepper I was thinking for a long, long time that it is all the same. For me, there was just one pepper and it was this little round-shaped thing that occured in a large number of meals created by my mum. But the first, and probably the most important, thing you need to know about "pepper" is that the German translation for the word "pepper" is not (as some might guess) "Pfeffer". No, no, in German "pepper" is "Paprikaschote" and it is due to our great English courses this semester that I was able to erase this little mistranslation from my vocabulary (:

But now let's come to the important question: pepper - is it all the same? No, it definitely is not and I will now give you a little introduction to some of the different types of pepper..

Anaheim
This pepper was namned after the city in Southern California and it is a big, mild chile that's good for stuffing. It has a skin that it is tough, but you can peel it pretty easy if it is roasted first. Anaheims are good roasted, cut into strips, and thrown into a salad, but they are also excellent when stuffed with meat.

Cayenne
This pepper is bright red and it is usually consumed in its dried, powdered form, known as cayenne pepper. These chiles are pretty long, skinny and can be very hot. They are said to be relatives of wild chiles from South and Central America.

Guernica
The Guernica, a Spanish pepper, is similar to the Padrón pepper in flavour, although it is a little bigger and without any heat. It is likely to be served fried or stuffed with cheese or other fillings.

Hot Banana (crazy name, isn't it?)
This pepper has sweet and hot varities. These peppers are often used in Hungarian lecsó, which is a dish of stewed peppers and eggs, pickled, or served grilled with meats.