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Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, traditionally ''
capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...
''. It can have varying levels of
heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
, but the peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce
chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...
. The milder, sweet paprika is mostly composed of the fruit of the pepper with most of the seeds removed; whereas some seeds and stalks are retained in the peppers used for hotter paprika. Paprika, like all capsicum varieties and their derivatives, is descended from wild ancestors from the Amazon River, cultivated in ancient times in South, Central and North America, in particular central Mexico. The peppers were introduced to Europe, via
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, in the sixteenth century. The trade in paprika expanded from the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
to Africa and Asia and ultimately reached central Europe through the Balkans. European cuisines in which paprika is a frequent and major ingredient include those of Hungary, Spain and Portugal; it is also found in many French and German dishes. It is widely used in North Africa and the Middle East.


History

Paprika is a spice made from dried and powdered red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''
Capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...
'' varietals in the Longum
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
, including
chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...
s. Peppers originated in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, where they grow in the wild in Mexico. They were being gathered and eaten there 7000 BC, and were cultivated there before 3500 BC. The food writer Alan Davidson comments that Columbus probably came across them on his first voyage in 1492, and may have brought plants back to Europe. The Spaniards and Portuguese also took them to India and south-east Asia and they were quickly taken up and grown in the Middle East, the Balkans and Europe – to Italy by 1526, Germany by 1543 and Hungary by 1569. Paprika was also taken up in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, which for much of the 16th and 17th centuries, ruled the central region of Hungary. The long period of Turkish presence introduced several foodstuffs to the region, including filo pastry (which evolved into the
strudel Strudel ( , ) is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Empire. Strudel is part of Austrian cuisine ...
),
pilaf Pilaf (), pilav or pilau () is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving ...
s, pitta bread and paprika. The plant used to make the Hungarian version of the spice was first grown in 1569.
Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
an paprika was hot until the 1920s, when a
Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
breeder found a plant that produced sweet fruit, which he grafted onto other plants.Sasvari, p. 202 According to George Lang in his ''Cuisine of Hungary'' (1994), the earliest reference to paprika peppers in a Hungarian dictionary was in 1604, when the name used was (Turkish pepper).Lang, p. 130 The name "paprika" did not come into currency in Hungary until 1775,Davidson, p. 573 when J. Csapé, in his ''Herbarium'', called it "paprika garden pepper". The first recorded use of the word ''paprika'' in English is from 1830. ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' mentioned " – the pepper soup, or ''paprika'' soup, made of the capsicum annuum of Linne ... a favourite dish among the Magyars, Turks, and Servians". In '' Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen'' (1970),
Elizabeth David Elizabeth David ( Gwynne, 26 December 1913 – 22 May 1992) was a British cookery writer. In the mid-20th century she strongly influenced the revitalisation of home cookery in her native country and beyond with articles and books about Europea ...
notes that in cookery books of the
Edwardian era In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
, paprika is sometimes referred to as "Krona pepper".David (2000), p. 43


Etymology

The word ''paprika'' is originally
Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language with four mutually i ...
, a diminutive of , which in turn was derived from the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
'' piper'' (pepper). "Paprika" and similar words, including "peperke", "piperke" and "paparka", are used in various languages for peppers.Andrews, p. 5


Varieties

Paprika can have varying levels of
heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
, but the chili peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce
chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...
. Sweet paprika is mostly composed of the
pericarp Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Fruitlike structures may develop directly from the seed itself rather th ...
, with more than half of the seeds removed; hot paprika contains some seeds, stalks,
ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...
s and calyces. Whether paprika is red, orange, or yellow depends on its mix of
carotenoid Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...
s. Yellow-orange shades of paprika derive primarily from α-carotene and β-carotene ( provitamin A compounds),
zeaxanthin Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoids in nature, and is used in the xanthophyll cycle. Synthesized in plants and some micro-organisms, it is the pigment that gives paprika (made from bell peppers), corn, saffron, goji ( wolfberries) ...
,
lutein Lutein (;"Lutein"
β-cryptoxanthin; reds derive from capsanthin and capsorubin. One study found high concentrations of
zeaxanthin Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoids in nature, and is used in the xanthophyll cycle. Synthesized in plants and some micro-organisms, it is the pigment that gives paprika (made from bell peppers), corn, saffron, goji ( wolfberries) ...
in orange paprika. The same study found that orange paprika contains much more lutein than red or yellow paprika.


Production

Paprika is produced in various places, including Argentina, Mexico, Serbia, the Netherlands, China and the United States, but the two best-known producers are Hungary and Spain.


Hungary

Hungary is a major source of paprika, and it is the spice most closely associated with Hungary. Lang lists and characterises the commercial grades of Hungarian paprika as: * – exquisite, delicate * – delicate, noble, sweet * – semi-sweet * – rose * – hot Davidson comments that the five are in descending order of excellence. The two principal growing areas in Hungary are in the south of the country, one around the city of
Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
and the other in Kalocsa, on the
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
.


Spain

is a powdered spice produced in Spain from the small round fruits of several varieties of capsicum annuum. According to the '' Oxford Companion to Food'': There are three versions of Spanish paprika: mild (''pimentón dulce''), mildly spicy (''pimentón agridulce'') and spicy (''pimentón picante''). The most common, ''pimentón de
la Vera La Vera is a comarca (county, but with no administrative role) in Extremadura, western Spain. The largest town is Jaraíz de la Vera Jaraíz de la Vera () is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. According to t ...
'', has a distinct smoky taste and smell, as it is dried by
smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
, typically using
oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
wood. Currently, according to the Denomination of Origin Regulation Council (Consejo Regulador de la DOP "Pimentón de La Vera"), the crop of La Vera paprika covers around and has an annual production of , certified as Denomination of Origin. ''Pimentón de
Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...
'' is an unsmoked variety made with bola/ñora peppers and traditionally dried in the sun or in kilns.


Use

Paprika is used as an ingredient throughout the world in dishes such as rice, stews and soups and in the preparation of sausages, mixed with meats and other spices.


Hungary

Hungarian's best-known national dishes both incorporate paprika: a meat soup, , and a stew internationally known as
goulash Goulash () is a meal (not quite stew or soup) made of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is on ...
but called in Hungary , or . , a sauce combining paprika, onions and sour cream, is used in chicken and veal dishes and with savoury crèpes. David comments on paprika: In a 2016 study Zsuzsa Gille writes that paprika is:


Spain and Portugal

In
Spanish cuisine Spanish cuisine () consists of the traditions and practices of Spanish cooking. It features considerable regional diversity, with significant differences among the traditions of each of Spain's regional cuisines. Olive oil (of which Spain is ...
, paprika is an essential ingredient of
chorizo ''Chorizo'' ( , ; ; see #Names, below) is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite differe ...
pork sausages. In contrast to the less well-known chorizo from the French side of the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
, which is traditionally spiced with , Spanish chorizos are spiced with . The sausage may be mild or spicy depending on the type of paprika used.
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
n
paella Paella (, , , , ; ) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. ''Paella'' is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, sha ...
uses both paprika and
saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...
in the mix of rice, meat and vegetables. Paprika features in
Basque cuisine Basque cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Basque Country and includes meats and fish grilled over hot coals, '' marmitako'' and lamb stews, cod, Tolosa bean dishes, paprikas from Lekeitio, '' pintxos'' (Basque '' tapas)'', Idiazabal shee ...
. David instances (
mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, whic ...
with spiced rice, Basque style) and (
pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...
with spiced rice). In
sofrito (), (), (), (), () or () is a basic preparation in Mediterranean cuisine, Mediterranean, Latin American cuisine, Latin American, Spanish cuisine, Spanish, Italian cuisine, Italian and Portuguese cuisine, Portuguese cooking. It typically ...
, the aromatic mixture of diced vegetables used as the basis of many stews and casseroles, Spanish cooks typically add paprika to the mix.Davidson, p. 732 In
Portuguese cuisine Portuguese cuisine () consists of the traditions and practices of cooking in Portugal. The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dish ...
, where it is known as , paprika plays an important part. It accounts for the orange shade and piquant taste of many of Portugal's pork and poultry dishes, and is similar to a hot Hungarian paprika. Paprika is also much used in fish dishes including eels,
cuttlefish Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...
and the mixed fish stew . It deepens the shade of some Portuguese cheeses, and adds spice to the local equivalent of chorizo,
chouriço ''Chorizo'' ( , ; ; see below) is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite different from ...
.


France

Paprika plays a part in
French cuisine French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices of France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a Court (royal), court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote ''Le Viandier'', one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In ...
. In their ''
Mastering the Art of French Cooking ''Mastering the Art of French Cooking'' is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both from France, and Julia Child, from the United States. The book was written for the American market and published by Kno ...
'',
Simone Beck Simone "Simca" Beck (7 July 1904 – 20 December 1991) was a French cookbook writer and cooking teacher who, along with colleagues Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, played a significant role in the introduction of French cuisine, French cooki ...
, Louisette Bertholle and
Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 â€“ August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...
give recipes for (chicken fricassee with paprika) and (chicken breasts with paprika, onions and cream). Some French dishes featuring paprika as an important ingredient are called (Hungarian). Most of them use – chopped onions cooked with paprika and white wine – and generally have cream added to the cooked sauce. They include (bean and bacon soup with paprika and sour cream), (eel), (calves' feet), (hard-boiled eggs), (frogs' legs), (lobster), , and . – Hungarian potatoes – consist of large rounds of potatoes, with chopped onions, cooked in butter and paprika, with diced tomatoes and moistened with
consommé In cooking, a consommé is a type of clear soup made from richly flavoured stock or broth that has been clarified, a process that uses egg whites to remove fat and sediment. Consommé has three English pronunciations: traditionally in the UK ...
. Rouille, a French sauce with paprika and garlic, is traditionally served with
bouillabaisse Bouillabaisse ( , , ; ) is a traditional Cuisine of Provence, Provençal fish soup originating in the port city of Marseille. The word is originally a compound of the two Provençal verbs ('to boiling, boil') and ('to reduce heat', i.e. 'sim ...
.


Germany and Austria

In German cookery, paprika is used in many dishes, from fish stews to braised duck, casseroled hare, braised veal, fried goose liver, stuffed cabbage leaves, meat dumplings, and beef goulash (known in German as ). According to the chef Rick Stein, "The people of Vienna love goulash so much they’ve taken the Hungarian dish and made it their own. The secret is to use lots of onion". The recipe calls for both sweet and hot paprika.


Other cuisines

In
Moroccan cuisine Moroccan cuisine () is the cuisine of Morocco, fueled by interactions and exchanges with many cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is usually a mix of Arab cuisine, Arab, Berber cuisine, Berber, Andalusian cuisine, Andalusi, ...
, paprika (''tahmira'') is much used in dishes such as bissara and chermoula. In Arabian food paprika is an ingredient of the spice mix Baharat. Throughout the Middle East, paprika may be sprinked onto hummus just before it is served, and it is frequently used to garnish baba ghanoush. Paprika is little used in
Italian cuisine Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp. 101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Ancient Roman cuisine, Roman times, and later spread ...
. The
Friuli Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
region in the north-east, a former part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
, features a spread called Liptauer, in which salted
anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...
are mixed with
ricotta Ricotta () is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein h ...
, butter, paprika, chopped onion and other ingredients, and further south, in
Molise Molise ( , ; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise together with Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the newest region in Ital ...
, paprika is used in the
salami Salami ( ; : ''salame'') is a ''salume'' consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature fo ...
ventricina.Riley, p. 331 Unlike the Spanish sofrito, Italian soffrito typically uses garlic rather than paprika.


Gallery

File:Paprika.fruits.three.j.jpg, The various shapes and colours of the peppers used to prepare paprika File:Capsicum annuum1.jpg, A ''capsicum annuum'' plant, with fruit of varied ripeness. File:Paprika pepper farmer in Tanzania (5761933485).jpg, Paprika pepper farmer in
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
File:Cachi 02.jpg, Red peppers in Cachi, Argentina are air-dried before being processed into powder. File:Romania, Transylvania, Sic Fortepan 31787.jpg, A man surrounded by drying peppers in
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
File:Dried paprika sale.jpg, Packaged ground and whole dried paprika for sale at a marketplace in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
,
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
File:Pimenton-ahumado-candeleda.jpg, Smoked paprika, called ''pimentón'' in Spanish


Notes, references and sources


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


See also

* Ajvar * Cayenne pepper *
Chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...
* Crushed red pepper * Food powder * List of ''Capsicum'' cultivars *
List of smoked foods This is a list of smoked foods. Smoking (cooking), Smoking is the process of seasoning, flavoring, cooking, or food preservation, preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Foods have been smoke ...
* Paprika Tap de Cortí * Pimiento *
Thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...


External links

* {{Authority control Hungarian cuisine Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine Bulgarian cuisine Chili peppers Food powders French cuisine Macedonian cuisine Moroccan cuisine Portuguese cuisine Serbian cuisine Smoked food Spanish cuisine Turkish cuisine Romani cuisine ms:Pokok Cili sq:Speci