Capsicum annuum.

The classic American bell pepper — the variety that defined for an entire century the shape and flavour of what is called a "pepper" in Québec, the United States and Canada. Introduced in 1928 by the great seed house W. Atlee Burpee & Co. of Philadelphia, the California Wonder (often shortened to Calwonder) established the world standard for the bell pepper: cubic shape, three or four lobes, thick walls, meaty crunchy flesh, mild flavour with no heat at all.

For nearly a century, the majority of green peppers sold in North American grocery stores were Calwonders or direct descendants — the variety was so universal that it ended up embodying the very idea of "pepper" for generations of eaters. What sets it apart from every other Capsicum annuum variety is its pure, stocky bell silhouette.

A compact, well-held plant 60-90 cm tall, producing 8-12 fine cubic fruits per plant. Fruits 10-12 cm tall by 8-10 cm wide, with three or four well-defined lobes, smooth glossy skin in deep uniform green that slowly ripens to bright red at season's end (a ripe green pepper is just a red pepper picked early — the same plant produces both, depending on harvest timing). Classic bell pepper flavour: mild, lightly herbaceous at the green stage, sweet and more fragrant at the mature red stage (a red pepper contains on average 11 times more beta-carotene and roughly 1.5 times more vitamin C than the green one — useful to know for those after the best of both nutrition and flavour worlds).

A thousand uses: sliced raw in sticks for dip, Chinese-stir-fried in pepper steak (a beef-and-peppers-and-onions sauté in soy sauce), as classic stuffed peppers (the great North American family recipe of peppers stuffed with rice, ground beef and tomato sauce, oven-gratinéed), oven-roasted with garlic and herbs for jars of confit peppers, in Provençal ratatouille, on pizza, in a composed salad. Also indispensable in Spanish paella and Cajun jambalaya.

Grower's tip: Like all the peppers already described, start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, at 25-28 °C on a heat mat. Transplant once nights have stabilized above 12 °C (early-to-mid June in Québec). Give the warmest spot in the garden (a south wall is ideal). The Calwonder has the particularity of being a little more productive than average and of tolerating slight temperature fluctuations well — it's probably the most tolerant and predictable pepper for novice gardeners in Québec. Light staking is useful to support loaded plants. Harvest at the green stage for quick use and continuous production (picking stimulates new fruit formation), or leave on the plant until red for maximum flavour and nutritional value (the difference is clearly noticeable on tasting).

Storage: 1-2 weeks in the fridge in a perforated bag.

• Open-pollinated. Heritage variety (1928). Largely self-pollinating, but crosses possible with other nearby Capsicum annuum — isolate or bag the flowers for seed saving.
• Height: 60-90 cm.
• Maturity: 75-85 days after transplant for green fruits, 90-100 days for red.
• Exposure: full sun, warmth.
• Rich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 45-60 cm apart.
• Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all frost risk has passed (early-to-mid June in Québec).