led ▁veget ables ▁d ishes , ▁tur sh i ya . ▁ ▁Pe ppers ▁are ▁also ▁used ▁widely ▁in ▁Italian ▁cu is ine , ▁and ▁the ▁hot ▁species ▁are ▁used ▁all ▁around ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁of ▁Italy ▁as ▁a ▁common ▁sp ice ▁( s ometimes ▁served ▁with ▁o live ▁oil ). ▁C aps icum ▁pe ppers ▁are ▁used ▁in ▁many ▁d ishes ; ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁cook ed ▁by ▁themselves ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁ways ▁( ro asted , ▁f ried , ▁deep - fried ) ▁and ▁are ▁a ▁fundamental ▁ing red ient ▁for ▁some ▁del ic at essen ▁special ities , ▁such ▁as ▁ nd u ja . ▁ ▁C aps ic ums ▁are ▁also ▁used ▁extens ively ▁in ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁cu is ine ▁as ▁side ▁d ishes . ▁ ▁The ▁May a ▁and ▁Az te c ▁people ▁of ▁Mes o amer ica ▁used ▁C aps icum ▁fruit ▁in ▁c ocoa ▁drink s ▁as ▁a ▁flav our ing . ▁ ▁In ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁caps icum ▁ann u um ▁cultiv ar ▁group ▁called ▁the ▁New ▁Mexico ▁ch ile ▁pe pper ▁which ▁a ▁main st ay ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁New ▁Mexican ▁cu is ine . ▁ ▁GR AS ▁Only ▁C aps icum ▁fr utes c ens ▁L . ▁and ▁C aps icum ▁ann u um ▁L . ▁are ▁Gener ally ▁recognized ▁as ▁safe . ▁ ▁Syn onym s ▁and ▁common ▁names ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁C aps icum ▁f ruits ▁var ies ▁between ▁English