Peperoncino (Italian: [peperonˈtʃiːno]; plural peperoncini [-ni]) is the generic Italian name for hot chili peppers, specifically some regional cultivars of the species Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens (chili pepper and Tabasco pepper, respectively). The sweet pepper is called peperone (plural peperoni) in Italian. Like most peppers, the fruit is green or yellowish-green when young, and ripens to a red color.
In the United States, peperoncini are usually pickled, comparatively mild – most often the variety known in Italy as friggitelli, a fairly sweet cultivar of C. annuum – and commonly used (whole, sliced, or chopped) as a condiment on sandwiches, in salads, and in Italian-style or other Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
