What are chili peppers?

Chili peppers are spicy fruits that grow on plants, and they can make your mouth feel like it's on fire.

Imagine you're eating a piece of candy, sweet and soft. Now imagine instead you’re eating something that feels like it’s giving your tongue a little zing or zap. That’s what happens when you eat chili peppers! They have special parts inside them called capsaicin, which is the thing that makes your mouth feel hot.

Chili pepper plants are like tiny gardens. You can plant a seed, and it will grow into a plant with leaves and flowers. When those flowers turn into fruits, they become the chili peppers you see in stores or in your favorite dishes. Some are small and pointy, like red dots on a tree. Others are long and skinny, like green worms.

Even though they feel hot, many people still enjoy eating chili peppers because the heat makes food more exciting, kind of like how adding salt can make something taste better. You might start with a little bit of spice, and then you’ll want more!