Paprika
kJ) | |||||||
| |||||||
Paprika (US /pəˈprikə/, /pæˈprikə/ ⓘ;[1] UK /ˈpæprɪkə/, /pəˈpriːkə/[1]) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers.[2] It is traditionally made from Capsicum annuum varietals in the Longum group, including chili peppers. Paprika can have varying levels of heat, but the chili peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce chili powder.[3][4] In some languages, but not English, the word paprika also refers to the plant and the fruit from which the spice is made, as well as to peppers in the Grossum group (e.g., bell peppers).[5][6]: 5, 73
All capsicum varieties are descended from wild ancestors in North America, in particular Central Mexico, where they have been cultivated for centuries.[7] The peppers were subsequently introduced to the Old World, when peppers were brought to Spain in the 16th century. The seasoning is used to add flavor and color to many types of dishes in diverse cuisines.
The trade in paprika expanded from the Iberian Peninsula to Africa and Asia[6]: 8 and ultimately reached Central Europe through the Balkans, which was then under Ottoman rule. This helps explain the Serbo-Croatian origin of the English term. In Spanish, paprika has been known as pimentón since the 16th century, when it became a typical ingredient in the cuisine of western Extremadura.[6]: 5, 73 Despite its presence in Central Europe since the beginning of Ottoman conquests, it did not become popular in Hungary until the late 19th century.[8]
Paprika can range from mild to hot – the flavor also varies from country to country – but almost all plants grown produce the sweet variety.
History and etymology
Peppers, the raw material in paprika production, originated from North America, where they grow in the wild in Central Mexico and have for centuries been cultivated by the peoples of Mexico. The peppers were later introduced to the Old World, to Spain in the 16th century, as part of the Columbian exchange.[11][12]
The plant used to make the Hungarian version of the spice was first grown in 1569.
The first recorded use of the word paprika in English is from 1831.[13] The word derives from the Hungarian word paprika,[14] which derives from the Serbo-Croatian word paprika, which is a diminutive of papar,[citation needed] which in turn was derived from the Latin piper or modern Greek piperi, ultimately from Sanskrit pippalī.[15] Paprika and similar words, including peperke, piperke, and paparka, are used in various languages for bell peppers.[6]: 5, 73
Production and varieties
Paprika is produced in various places including Argentina, Mexico, Hungary, Serbia, Spain, the Netherlands, China, and some regions of the United States.[16][17]
Hungarian
Hungary is a major source of paprika,[17] and it is the spice most closely associated with Hungary.[18] The spice was first used in Hungarian cuisine in the early 19th century.[18] It is available in different grades:
- Noble sweet (Édesnemes) – slightly pungent (the most commonly exported paprika; bright red)
- Special quality (különleges) – the mildest (very sweet with a deep bright red color)
- Delicate (csípősmentes csemege) – a mild paprika with a rich flavor (color from light to dark red)
- Exquisite delicate (csemegepaprika) – similar to delicate, but more pungent
- Pungent exquisite delicate (csípős csemege, pikáns) – an even more pungent version of delicate
- Rose (rózsa) – with a strong aroma and mild pungency (pale red)
- Semi-sweet (félédes) – a blend of mild and pungent paprikas; medium pungency
- Strong (erős) – the hottest paprika (light brown)[17]
Spanish (pimentón)
There are three versions of Spanish paprika (pimentón) – mild (pimentón dulce), mildly spicy (pimentón agridulce) and spicy (pimentón picante).
The most common Spanish paprika, pimentón de
Pimentón de Murcia is an unsmoked variety made with bola/ñora peppers[21] and traditionally dried in the sun or in kilns.[22]
Usage
Culinary
Paprika is used as an ingredient in numerous dishes throughout the world. It is principally used to season and color rice, stews, and soups, such as goulash, and in the preparation of sausages such as Spanish chorizo, mixed with meats and other spices. The flavor contained within the pepper's oleoresin is more effectively brought out by heating it in oil.[23]
Hungarian national dishes incorporating paprika include gulyás, a meat soup, pörkölt, a stew called internationally goulash, and paprikash (paprika gravy: a Hungarian recipe combining chicken, broth, paprika, and sour cream). In Moroccan cuisine, paprika (tahmira) is usually augmented by the addition of a small amount of olive oil blended into it. Many dishes call for paprika (colorau) in Portuguese cuisine for taste and color.[citation needed]
Carotenoids
The red, orange, or yellow color of paprika powder derives from its mix of
Nutrition
In a reference serving amount of one
in significant content.See also
Gallery
-
The various shapes and colors of the peppers used to prepare paprika
-
Paprika pepper farmer in Tanzania
-
Red peppers in Cachi, Argentina are air-dried before being processed into powder.
-
Smokedpaprika, called pimentón in Spanish
References
- ^ a b "paprika". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "pepper". Retrieved April 7, 2017 – via The Free Dictionary.
- ^ Derera, Nicholas F.; Nagy, Natalia; Hoxha, Adriana (January 2005). "Condiment paprika research in Australia". Journal of Business Chemistry. 2 (1): 4–18. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- ^ Bray, Matt (April 2, 2022). "Is Paprika Spicy?". PepperScale. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ISBN 978-81-7371-521-1. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 9780292704671. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- ISBN 9780415026475. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9781897229057. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ PMID 24065101.
- ^ "Paprika". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- ^ Lieber, Francis (1831). Encyclopaedia Americana. p. 476. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ A Magyar Nyelv Történeti-Etimológiai Szótára [The Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Hungarian Language]. Vol. 3. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. 1976. p. 93.
- ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "Paprika — Food Facts". Food Reference. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 8178330385.
- ^ OCLC 566879902.
- ^ "Spanish Paprika — Pimentón". Spanishfood.about.com. March 2, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "Pimentón de La Vera: The King of Spanish Kitchens". Spanish Club Blog. April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Ñora". Foods and Wines from Spain. ICEX. July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
The ñora is a dried pepper mainly used to make pimentón (a type of Spanish paprika) in Murcia and to season dishes
- ^ Sierra, Lisa; Sierra, Tony (February 2, 2021). "Pimentón, or Spanish Paprika: Where It Comes from, How It's Made, and More". The Spruce. Dotdash Meredith. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Paprika - an overview s". Sciencedirect.com. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ PMID 26868549.
- ^ "Spices, paprika". USDA National Nutrient Database. United States Department of Agriculture. 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
External links
- The dictionary definition of paprika at Wiktionary