Paprika

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A small bowl of smoked Spanish paprika

Packaged ground and whole dried paprika for sale at a Belgrade marketplace.

The various shapes and colors of the capsicum fruit used to prepare paprika.

Paprika is a spice made from the grinding of dried Capsicum (e.g. bell pepper). In many European countries, the word paprika also refers to bell peppers themselves. The seasoning is used in many cuisines to add color and flavor to dishes. Flavors also vary widely from country to country (ex. Hungarian paprika or Spanish pimentón is traditionally either spicy or sweet).

Origins

According to Hindu legend, Paprika is said to have been named after a religious Indian figure named "Rysh Paprike". It has also been speculated that Paprika is a derivation of the Serbian word 'paprena' which means 'spicy', then apparently forming it into 'paprika'.

Usage

Paprika is used as an ingredient in a broad variety of dishes throughout the world. Paprika is principally used to season and color rices, stews, and soups, such as goulash and in the preparation of sausages as an ingredient that is mixed with meats and other spices. It is often smoked to draw additional flavors.

In Spain, paprika is known as pimentón, and is quite different in taste; pimentón has a distinct, smokey flavor and aroma, and is a key ingredient in several sausage products, such as chorizo or sobrasada, as well as much Spanish cooking. Outside of Spain pimentón is often referred to as simply "smoked paprika" and can be found in varying intensities from sweet and mild (dulce), medium hot (agridulce), or very hot and spicy (picante).

Nutrition

Paprika is unusually rich in vitamin C. Hungary's 1937 Nobel prize-winner Albert Szent-Györgyi first discovered this fact in 1932. Capsicum peppers used for paprika contain six to nine times as much vitamin C as tomatoes by weight.

High heat leaches the vitamins from peppers, thus commercially-dried peppers are not as nutritious as those that are sun-dried.

Paprika is also high in other antioxidants, containing about 10% of the level found in acai berries. Prevalence of nutrients, however, must be balanced against quantities ingested, which are generally negligible for spices.

See also

• Capsicum
• Cayenne pepper