Hungarian Paprika Types

Paprika is a versatile spice ranging from mild and sweet to spicy hot.

Hungarian paprika is a popular spice made from ripened red peppers, ground to a powder from either dried capsicum annum or capsicum longum varieties. The flavor and intensity of paprika ranges from sweet and mild to spicy hot. Several countries produce paprika, including the United States, Spain and Hungary. Food lovers especially esteem Hungarian paprika for its range of flavors and color. Paprika contains only the dried ground pepper itself, in contrast to chili powder, which is a mixture of dried ground peppers and other spices.

Uses

Many traditional American recipes use paprika to add color to savory dishes such as potato salad. Paprikashes and goulashes are popular central-European dishes that make use of paprika's unique flavor. In Hungarian cuisine, paprika flavors soups, stews and meat dishes in a manner comparable to the way chili powder flavors foods like chili and posole in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

History

Goulash is so linked to Hungarian culture that it is difficult to grasp that peppers or capsicums were not available in Europe until the discovery of the New World spread the spicy fruits through trade routes in the East. The Ottoman Empire introduced paprika to Hungary during the 1500s. First considered peasant food, goulash gained popularity throughout Hungary and now is the national dish, and paprika is the national symbol of Hungarian cuisine. Hungarian standards classify paprika into eight different grades of spice-level. The variation in heat, color and flavor comes from the stage in which the ripe pepper is picked and the components of the fruit used to grind the dried peppers into powdered spice.

Mild Hungarian Paprika

You can use the milder forms of paprika for sweetness and brightness of color. For mild paprika, spice-makers use the flesh of the dried pepper, but not the seeds, which add heat. Különleges (special quality) is the mildest grade and has the brightest red color. Csíposmentes csemege (delicate) is next on the heat pungency scale. It is also a mild variety, but it is not as bright in color as Különleges.

Spicy Paprika

Spicier grades include larger proportions of seeds and other parts of the pepper. If you want a slightly spicier flavor, csípos csemege (exquisite delicate) is a milder grade, but slightly stronger than Különleges and Csíposmentes csemege. Édesnemes (noble sweet) is the most popular variety exported from Hungary. Félédes is a medium heat grade. Rózsa (rose) is lighter red in color. For the strongest kick, Eros (hot) has the hottest spice level. Hot Hungarian paprika is ground from whole dried peppers and is light brown or orange in color.

References

• Spice Qualities and Specifications
• Hungarian Paprika History, Facts & Recipes

Resources

• Hungarian Goulash Soup