Peppers

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'Pepper' refers to more than one family of plant.


Piper

Pepper, the seasoning, is almost always Piper nigrum, a vine in the Piper genus (Piperaceae family), though there are many specific cultivars (e.g. Lampung / Lampong from Indonesia).


Peppercorns refer to the non-ground piper fruit - often in recipes that add it whole.

The various-colored peppercorns and ground peppers are all the same thing with varying treatment, from drying/cooking at different stages of maturation.


Red peppercorn is the ripe fruit. It is dried, treated to keep its red color, or preserved in brine and vinegar.
White peppercorn are the ripe red peppers with its skin removed


Green peppercorn is the unripe fruit, dried and often treated to stay green.
Black peppercorn are produced from the still-green, unripe fruit.


So yes, four-season pepper is mostly the same plant. Except that the fourth, pink pepper, are actually berries from the cashew family, unrelated to the Piper genus. They are named only pepper for resemblance in look and taste.


Capsicum

Chili peppers and bell peppers refer to any spicy and non-spicy (respectiely) members of the Capsicum genus.

In the case of chili peppers, the spiciness comes from capsaicin. (Bell peppers are more varied).


Terms such as chili pepper, red pepper, and green pepper usually refer to one of many of the spicy members this family.

Exactly which one varies regionally, but is typically one of many cultivars within roughly five domesticated species.

Some names are biologically specific, while others are general names that vary locally, may conflict with other naming, and regularly points at broader groups within a species.


Chili peppers

Chili flakes

The result of drying and crushing (not finely grinding) red chili peppers.

Useful for dosing spiciness, and sometimes as a condiment, depending in a little how spicy it is (or still is).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crushed_red_pepper


Chili powder

Usually refers to a spicy capsicain-style pepper, dried and ground.

Sometimes more general and mixed, while e.g. cayenne powder is more specifically the powder from Capsicum annuum, often still mixed with something non-spciy to temper it.


Bell peppers

Known as 'paprika' in much of Europe, and as bell peppers in at least the US and UK, these typically refer to larger and sweeter cultivars within Capsicum_annuum.

In some areas it points specifically at the non-spicy (one of the Hungarian style?), while e.g. Spanish paprika (pimentón) and comes in mild to pretty spicy.


Also frequently seen as paprika powder, also available in variants, such as sweet, spicy, and also smoked.


Others

Things like Brazilian pepper Schinus terebinthifolius isn't related to either piper or capsicum. It is closer to piper in use(verify).

See also