How to Love Green Peppers

For too long, the most assertive shade of bell pepper has gotten no respect. These recipes make the most of their singular zing

Betsy Andrews

Feb. 20, 2019 2:18 p.m. ET

SEARCH FOR MENTIONS of green bell pepper online and you’ll find fighting words: “detestable,” “NASTY,” “the worst!” Haters, take heed: Chefs are reclaiming the bittersweet nightshade. “That’s our job: to help you realize it’s [bleeping] delicious,” said Doug Adams, chef-owner of Bullard in Portland, Ore.

Green peppers owe their divisive pungency to 2-methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine, a compound so odoriferous we detect it at minuscule levels. It lessens in concentration as peppers ripen; hence the mellower flavor of a red pepper,...