Louisianians have been appreciating the qualities of spicy foods for generations. The fire in Louisiana's cooking is provided primarily by the use of hot peppers or products made from them. Thanks to modern breeding efforts, we can now grow bell peppers that ripen to a red, yellow, or orange color, and can even be purple, lavender, or chocolate brown when unripe. Many pepper varieties are attractive enough to use as ornamentals in the landscape as well as in the vegetable garden.
