Photo: Rawku5 and Zsuzsanna Kilian
In recent weeks, an image has appeared on Facebook a lot (have you liked our page? http://facebook.com/pratofundo) showing that depending on the number of locules (“little feet”) the pepper would be male or female.
At first I didn’t think much of it, but there was something bothering me about the information. The two semesters of botany in college proved its value. Male or female peppers are wrong. In other words, it is botanically wrong.
What is Pepper?
Pepper is one of several plants that make up the species Potatoes. Like this? A species with several plants? Exactly. There are varieties within the species itself!
If you talk about gender, Capsicum sp., the list gets even longer. Poblano, jalapeño and cayenne peppers are all Potatoes also. Just like peppers. In theory, it would be a pepper, but without any heat. The plant does not produce capsaicin, the substance responsible for the spiciness.
Male and Female Peppers
The pepper plant produces flowers hermaphroditesthat is, it is a complete flower having organs feminine e male. To generate new fruits, the flower self-pollinates. But external pollination (pollen from other flowers) can also happen.
1) Gynoecium: stigma, part of the female organs and 2) Androecium: anther, part of the male organs | Photo: Clayton O’Neil
The format is a genetic characteristic of each plant and not indicative of its “sex”. The fruit produced, if it were to be classified, is hermaphrodite. Better: the seeds are possible embryos to generate a new hermaphrodite plant.
There are female or male plants, without a doubt. However, this characteristic is given by the structures found in the flor of each plant.
An example that nature is looking for the best way to adapt to is the famous papaya: the plant can be female, male or hermaphrodite. Of the three, only the female and hermaphrodite plants produce fruit. The male flower can pollinate other flowers (female or hermaphrodite), but will not be able to produce fruit due to the female organs being atrophied (non-functional).
And to think that I complained about Michael Pollan for describing the sexual life of corn in the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. I bit my tongue.
To use bell peppers for their flavor, the basic idea about ripening applies here. The riper, the sweeter and smoother. O Green pepper As the name suggests, it is not ripe. So, its flavor will be “stronger” than the red which is the fully ripened fruit.
The other colors like purple, orange and cream are from different plants. For some varieties there is no change in color.
Furthermore, each person’s taste is also important. The perception of flavor and aroma is different between us. How to use it and which one to choose will depend on personal preference.
Personally, I prefer red and yellow and I always burn it on the stove to remove the skin. Due to the heat, it ends up becoming even softer and with a smoked/burnt flavor.
