The History of Hungarian Paprika
Bright, red paprika peppers and the fine powder derived from their seeds are often seen as a symbol of Hungary. Used to flavor an array of Hungarian dishes and helping to bolster the national agricultural industry, the paprika plant has long played a key role in the country's cuisine and economy. Yet, paprika was not always found in Hungary; instead, it sprung up from an unexpected source.
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Early Days
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In the 16th and 17th centuries, Turkish invaders in Hungary planted paprika peppers from their homeland throughout the country. After it was introduced on Hungarian soil, people considered paprika to be an everyday plant used to decorate gardens. It wasn't long before cattle herders and shepherds, who often came into contact with the invading Turks, began to use paprika to add flavor to their meals.
Later Years
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During the 18th century, a wider margin of Hungarian society, from peasants to the upper classes, came to use paprika in the kitchen. Hungarian aristocrats who tasted peasant dishes flavored with paprika enjoyed the plant's spicy taste and gradually began using the red pepper in their own food. By the 19th century, the use of paprika had spread throughout the nation and became one of Hungary's foremost spices found on restaurant tables and in home pantries.
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Geography
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Paprika cultivation has typically taken place in the southern Hungarian regions of Kalocsa and Szeged, which enjoy higher temperatures and a sunnier climate than the rest of the country. Because these areas have more hours of sunshine, the plant has sufficient time to ripen and sweeten, giving Hungarian paprika its distinctive flavor.
Production Methods
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When Turks and Hungarians began cultivating paprika around the 17th century, farmers hung the plants along a string in a covered area, letting them dry out in the sunshine before placing them in earthenware ovens to dry further. They then took the dried paprika pods, crushed them by foot and ground the remains into a bright red powder with a mortar and pestle.
In the mid-19th century, the Palfy brothers of Szeged, Hungary, came up with a quick, effective method of removing paprika seeds, allowing for wide-scale production of Hungarian paprika. Later in the century, Hungarian industrialists developed water mills and steam-operated mills to accelerate paprika production.
Benefits
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During the 1930s, Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi and his colleagues at Szeged University experimented with the paprika plant to see what types of nutritional or healing properties it might have. In 1937, Szent-Gyorgyi was awarded the Nobel prize for science for discovering that paprika included Vitamin C, an antiscorbutic, which protects against scurvy.
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