Paprika

paprika

Paprika is a ground spice made from a mixture of dried peppers in the Capsicum anuum family, including hot chili peppers, cayenne peppers, poblano peppers, aleppo peppers, sweet peppers, and others. This vibrant red spice varies in flavor, heat levels, and color depending on the type of peppers used to make the paprika.

Some paprikas are hot and spicy, with predominant notes of fiery hot peppers. Others are sweet, with no heat and a mild flavor. The spice level of paprika is dependent on the flavorful carotenoids contained in the fresh peppers used for the powder, which can be measured by the scoville heat unit scale.

Originally cultivated in Central Mexico, paprika was brought to Spain in the sixteenth century before moving around the world to Asia, Africa, and other European nations. Paprika features prominently in Hungarian cuisine, where the bright red spice is used as ubiquitously as salt or pepper.

3 Varieties of Paprika

Among the different varieties of paprika, the spice is often divided into three categories—hot paprika, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika—which often vary based on where they’re produced. Here’s a deep dive into the three common varieties of paprika:

  1. Regular Paprika (aka basic paprika): This generic form of paprika, which is the one most commonly found in the spice aisles of average grocery stores, can consist of peppers from California, Hungary, South America, and more. This variety is very mild in flavor, without strong notes of heat or sweetness, making it the ideal garnish for dishes like deviled eggs, hummus, and potato salad.
  2. Hungarian Paprika: Paprika is the national spice of Hungary, and is used in many of the country’s most common dishes. There are eight types of Hungarian paprika with varying degrees of heat and flavor. The most commonly used and exported variety is Noble Sweet (Edesnemes), a bright red, slightly pungent spice. Other types of Hungarian paprika include delicate, rose, semi-sweet, strong, and special quality.
  3. Spanish Paprika (aka pimenton): Available in three different varieties—mild, mildly spicy, and spicy—this paprika typically consists of chili peppers that have been dried over oak fires (pimenton de la vera), infusing the spice with a smoky flavor. However, some types of Spanish paprika are sun dried or dried in kilns and therefore don’t have a smoky taste.

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