Capsicum (capsicum) is the generic name for various plants and their hot fruits. The country-specific names often cause confusion and mix-ups between peppers and capsicums. These include Peperoni (mild pepper, Switzerland and Austria), Chilli (Germany), Pfefferoni (hot pepper, Austria) and Peperoncini (Switzerland and South Tyrol). The term chilli is also used for a spice mixture originating from the USA, which is based on powdered fruit (chilli powder) or for a hot seasoning sauce made from it (chilli sauce).
Cayenne pepper or Spanish pepper has its origins in Latin America and is obtained from the dried fruits of the cayenne chilli variety; it therefore also has nothing to do with pepper. Many of the names suggest pepper, which is why paprika is often confused or equated with pepper. However, these are two different spice families. Paprika contains capsaicin, while the "real" pepper contains piperine.
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