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Red chili peppers are cultivated for their pungency and are different types of the berry-fruit of plants in the genus Capsicum, a member of the nightshade family Solanaceae. They are frequently used as a spice to add "heat" to foods in many different cuisines. Capsaicin, the primary bioactive plant compound in chili peppers, is what gives them their distinct, pungent flavor and many of their health advantages. Red chili peppers were first cultivated in Mexico and are thought to have come from Central or South America. Following the Columbian Exchange, numerous chili pepper cultivars that were used in both traditional medicine and food production spread throughout the world. In 2019, 38 million tons of raw green chili peppers were produced worldwide, with China accounting for half of that total.