Difference Between Hot & Sweet Paprika
Paprika, a reddish powder made from pepper pods, is often used by cooks to add spice and color to food, and serves as an important ingredient in Hungarian cuisine. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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Paprika is produced by grinding up the dried pods of the pepper plant (Capsicum annum). It can range in color from bright red to brown, and depending on which type of pepper is used, may be mild and sweet or hot and spicy.
Types of Peppers Used
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FoodReference.com says that originally all peppers used for paprika were hot, but there are now mild varieties. Sweet bell peppers produce a mild, sweet spice, while the milder types of chili peppers are used for a hotter spice. The most commonly produced paprika is made from the sweet red pepper (also called the tomato pepper).
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Types of Paprika
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Hungary and Spain are two of the world's leading producers of paprika. Hungarian paprika tends to be stronger and richer than Spanish paprika, which is mild. According to TheEpicentre.com, some spice companies even add cayenne to the Hungarian paprika, since consumers expect it to be spicy.
Spanish Paprika
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The Spanish pepper types are sweet (dolce), semi-sweet (agridulce) and hot (picante). Budapest-Tourist-Guide.com notes that paprika's hotness is due to a chemical in peppers called capsaicin; a bright red paprika may actually be mild, while the orange-colored varieties are the hottest.
Hungarian Paprika
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According to Budapest-Tourist-Guide.com, there are eight different degrees of pungency in Hungarian paprika, including the bright red Noble sweet (édesnemes), which is the most commonly purchased; Special quality (Különleges), both the mildest and reddest; and Hot (er's), which is light orange-brown in color and the hottest of all paprikas.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Rick Audet
