Paprika is ground dried red Capsicum annuum peppers, from sweet and mild to hot. It is the national spice of Hungary, essential in Spanish cooking, and valued everywhere for colour and sweetness.
What it is¶
Paprika is a powder of dried, ground red peppers of Capsicum annuum, grown specifically for the purpose: long, thin-walled varieties that dry easily and are rich in red pigment. It can be sweet (no heat at all), semi-sweet, or hot, depending on the variety and on whether the pungent placenta and seeds are included in the grind.
The word is Hungarian, from the Serbian and Croatian papar ("pepper"), and in English "paprika" usually means Hungarian-style, unsmoked paprika. Spanish paprika is pimentón, which may be smoked or unsmoked; smoked paprika has its own page at smoked paprika. Generic supermarket paprika is often a mild, sweet powder whose country of origin may be anywhere from China to South Africa.
Hungarian grades¶
Hungarian paprika is sold in grades by colour, flavour and heat, of which the most commonly found are:
| Grade | Meaning | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Különleges | "Special" | Brightest red, finest grind, mild and sweet |
| Csemege | "Delicate" | Mild to slightly pungent, rich flavour |
| Édesnemes | "Noble sweet" | The standard export grade: bright red, sweet, slight warmth |
| Félédes | "Semi-sweet" | Medium heat |
| Rózsa | "Rose" | Pale red, mildly hot |
| Erős | "Hot" | Light brown-orange, the hottest |
Origins and history¶
Chillies reached the Balkans and Hungary in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, probably through Ottoman Turkish and Balkan trade routes, although the exact route is debated. At first paprika was a peasant spice, used in place of expensive black pepper, and by the nineteenth century it had become central to Hungarian cooking and identity. The regions around Szeged and Kalocsa, on the Great Hungarian Plain, became the heartlands of production, and both now have protected paprika.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi, working in Szeged, used local paprika peppers as a rich source for isolating vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in quantity, part of the work for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1937. Hungarian breeders also developed sweet, non-pungent paprika varieties in the twentieth century, which is why most paprika today has little or no heat.
Flavour and aroma¶
Good sweet paprika tastes of sweet red pepper, raisin and a faintly earthy, caramel note. Hot paprika adds a warm, moderate pungency. Cheap or old paprika tastes dusty and bitter. The colour is intense, and much of paprika's use is visual; the pigments dissolve in fat, which is why paprika turns oil and butter a brilliant red.
In the kitchen¶
Hungarian dishes¶
- Gulyás (goulash): a soup-stew of beef, onions, paprika and caraway.
- Pörkölt: a thicker stew of beef, pork or veal with onions and paprika.
- Paprikás csirke (chicken paprikash): chicken in a paprika and onion sauce finished with soured cream.
- Halászlé: the fisherman's soup of the Danube and Tisza, deep red with hot and sweet paprika.
- Lecsó: a stew of peppers, tomatoes and onions.
Elsewhere¶
- Spain and Portugal: unsmoked pimentón in chorizo, pulpo a la gallega and stews.
- Central Europe and the Balkans: in sausages, stuffed peppers and bean soups.
- Everywhere: devilled eggs, potato salad, roast potatoes, spice rubs, tandoori masala, and as a garnish.
💡 Take it off the heat
Paprika is high in sugars and burns quickly, turning bitter and brown within seconds in hot fat. Hungarian cooks soften the onions in fat, take the pan off the heat, stir in the paprika, then immediately add the liquid or meat. As a guide, a goulash for four uses 2–3 tbsp sweet paprika.
Buying and storing¶
Paprika fades fast. Buy small amounts, preferably in tins from Hungary or Spain, and look for a vivid, deep red; brownish, dull paprika is old. Store airtight away from light and heat, and use within six months. Many Hungarian cooks keep it in the fridge. Paprika has historically been a target for adulteration, including with lead compounds in Hungary in the 1990s; buy from reputable sources. See spice adulteration and lead in spices.
Substitutes¶
- Mild Kashmiri chilli powder: similar colour, a little warmer.
- Espelette pepper or Aleppo: fruitier, warmer.
- Smoked paprika where smoke is welcome (use a little less).
- For hot paprika: sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne.
Pairs well with¶
Onions, garlic, caraway, cumin, marjoram, soured cream, tomato, peppers, pork, beef, chicken, eggs, potatoes and butter.
Growing your own¶
Paprika peppers are grown like other C. annuum chillies: sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C and grow in a greenhouse or a warm, sunny spot after frost. Choose thin-walled paprika varieties such as the Hungarian 'Szegedi' or 'Kalocsai' types, which dry well. Let pods ripen fully red, string them up to dry in a warm, airy place until brittle, then grind (removing seeds and ribs for a sweet paprika). See growing chillies.