Paprika questions? What does paprika - the spice - come from?

Question

I know what paprika is. I've eaten it and I use it in cooking, but what I don't know is what it comes from. Is it from a pepper? Also, I just bought Hungarian paprika and I noticed that they have two kinds; hot and "sweet delicacy" (whatever that means...lol). When you buy an American brand of paprika it doesn't differentiate between the two. What are you buying when you buy this unidentified paprika? Also, what kind of paprika, hot or "sweet delicacy" is more appropriate for goulash. I sniffed the "sweet delicacy" and decided to buy that for my goulash since I have to use a half cup of the stuff! Hot might have been a little scary, but which one is more authentic for use in a goulash? Thank you in advance! :-)

I'm trying to make Austrian potato goulash. Which type of paprika is more appropriate for this? The recipe doesn't specify.

Answer 1

Hi Kitty! You're getting a lot of good but also conflicting advice. Paul is absolutely right. Hungarian paprika, which is basically the Hungarian brand of pulverized red pepper (matured green peppers, nothing to do with the kind of pepper ground in pepper mills), comes in all sorts, and Austrians (who had access to all varieties -- after all, it used to be the Austro-Hungarian empire) used what they liked best. In general, though, Austrians preferred the milder varieties.

I haven't had potato goulash in a long time, but my grandmother made it a lot after WWII when there was no meat. She used a relatively mild paprika. One thing about Austrian goulash (I don't know if this authentically Hungarian) is that you use a lot of onions, and cook them down to a paste or gravy. This gives the goulash a lot of flavor, so adding a hot type of paprika is not really necessary, and it can overwhelm the sweet-hot onion flavor. You are right that when a large quantity of paprika is called for, it is usually a milder variety. Austrians are really not into gasping at the dinner table because the food is hot.

It is very hard to tell what kind of paprika sold in the U.S.might be authentic. Sometimes German food sites like germangrocery.com are helpful.

Answer 2

As the others have said, paprika is made from peppers. I always buy the sweet Hungarian. That's what I use in my goulash. I also think the hot would be scary. After you make your goulash using the sweet, you can sample the sauce. If you think it needs a little kick, add tabasco sauce - a little goes a long way.

Enjoy your potato goulash.

Answer 3

It's a pepper. If you are trying to make Hungarian goulash, use just a little of the hot stuff. Hungarian goulash, served to me in my youth from family from that country was spicey! I have not found the hot paprika in the stores that I go to, it's always the sweet stuff.

Answer 4

Paprika is basically the Hungarian word for "pepper". Hungarian paprika is made by grinding up dried sweet red bell peppers (Capsicum annuum); other types of paprika may use other kinds of pepper.

Hungarian smoked paprika is more authentic in a goulash. There are more than two types of hungarian paprikas, though:
* Special Quality (Különleges): The mildest and brightest red of all Hungarian paprikas, with excellent aroma.
* Delicate (Édes csemege): Ranging from light to dark red, a mild paprika with a rich flavour.
* Exquisite Delicate (Csemegepaprika): Similar to Delicate, but more pungent.
* Pungent Exquisite Delicate (Csípős Csemege, Pikáns): A yet more pungent Delicate.
* Rose (Rózsa): Pale Red in colour with strong aroma and mild pungency.
* Noble Sweet (Édesnemes): The most commonly exported paprika; bright red and slightly pungent.
* Half-Sweet (Félédes): A blend of mild and pungent paprikas; medium pungency.
* Hot (Erős): Light brown in colour, this is the hottest of all the paprikas.

Garden variety paprika seems to be made from red sawdust; it certainly doesn't have much flavor. Or maybe it's that way because it's so old.

Answer 5

Spice Description
Paprika is a fine powder ground from certain varieties of Capsicum annuum which vary in size and shape. They may be small and round (Spain and Morocco) or pointed and cone shaped (Hungary and California). They are larger and milder than chilli peppers. Paprika is produces from peppers ripened to redness, sometimes called ‘pimento’, the same as used to stuff olives. The powder can vary in colour from bright red to rusty brown.
Bouquet: slightly warm and sweet
Flavour: ranges from sweet and mild to pungent and fiery.

Answer 6

Paprika is a herbal plant species close to peppers its primarily grow in Eastern Europe.
Different species of the plant and when processed yield different flavors.

Answer 7

Paprika is from sweet red peppers.Use the regular one to be sure the recipe comes out right.Unless it says spicy don't use it.

Answer 8

Pulverized dried red peppers. It can be hot, smokey or sweet.