辣椒
là jiāo · HSK 7
pepper
🌶️ 辣椒 = 辣 spicy + 椒 pepper-plant; là jiāo, the spicy-pepper plant
辣 means spicy/hot and 椒 names pepper plants (also in 花椒 Sichuan pepper). Together they label the chili. Sound: jiāo rhymes with the second half of how you'd say it slowly.
辣 — 辛 (bitter/pungent) + 束 (bundle)
辣 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辛 component carries the meaning, since 辛 originally depicted a tattooing knife and came to mean sharp, bitter, or pungent sensations. The 束 component (a bundle) supplies the sound. Together they describe a sharp, hot, spicy taste.