VARIANTS
powder - sweet
powder - Spanish (de la Vera)
powder - Spanish
Our sweet Hungarian paprika powder is slightly clumpy, and a vibrant orange red. It is különleges grade, or "special" quality. Specifically this means it is the mostly finely ground and highest quality of the region. The flavor is sweet with a touch of savory depth and richness. Enjoy its bright color and distinct flavor in savory dishes.
Despite the peppers for paprika having only been introduced to Hungary in the 16th century—and even then primarily used as castle ornaments for the next two hundred years—the spice is considered an essential ingredient in much of Hungarian cuisine.
All paprikas are a mixture of types of capsicum peppers, and the mixture chosen will determine the heat or sweetness level of the final product. The climate of southern Hungary, with its high number of sunny hours per year, is particularly suited to growing these peppers. In the mid-1800s two innovations in paprika helped further spur popularity of the spice: Farmers in the small town of Kalocsa successfully bred a milder version of these peppers; while in the town of Szeged, two brothers invented an efficient way for removing stalks and seeds from the fruit.
In the ensuing centuries, production of these peppers has been so efficiently refined that in the present day many growers from other countries (Africa, China) will ship their peppers to Hungary for processing. The Hungarian process includes many stages of grinding and sieving which helps create the fine powder and texture for which it is known.
Hungarian cooks favor using paprika in large amounts in their cuisine. At the start of many dishes they will add paprika in multiple heaping tablespoons to onions sautéing in fat. Once added they will heat it briefly before adding other ingredients. They are careful not to let the paprika burn as this will cause it to get bitter.
In addition to it being used in such quantities as to consider it more an ingredient than an accent; a bowl of paprika will often be found on the table next to the salt and pepper in Hungarian households and is used to garnish many foods as well.
INGREDIENTS
Capsicum annuum peppers blend
TASTING NOTES
Sweet, with some depth and richness. Slightly savory. It is NOT smoky.
SUBSTITUTIONS
The flavor profile of Hungarian paprika and Spanish smoked paprika is very different. Substituting one for the other will change the taste of the dish. Hungarian is generally more intense and sweeter.
BOTANICAL NAME
Capsicum annuum
In the 17th century Spanish-speaking Mexicans adopted the Aztec name for spicy peppers: chilli (Nahuatl language). At that time they modified it to its current spelling of chile, this moniker has also been adopted by the Spanish-language influenced American Southwest.
Exported and anglicized in the 17th century it ironically appears again spelled as chilli in English texts of that age. Americans simplified this to chili, with a single "l". In the early 1800s the popular frontier dish "chili" was concocted and the spice blend marketed to make this favorite at home was called chili powder. Today it contains a blend of spices which often includes cumin, oregano, paprika and one or two different types of ground chile peppers.
In culinary circles in the U.S. it has become practice to defer to the Spanish spelling when referring to a single pepper variety. Chili with an "i" ending is reserved for the spice blend.
Be careful not to heat paprika directly for too long or at too high of temperatures as it will turn bitter.
Though strings of peppers once decked the castles of nobles as ornamentals, and later could be found hanging from sun drenched eaves of farm houses for drying; the peppers for paprika are now placed tubular netting when hung for desiccation. From a distance they resemble fat sausages.
