Paprika

spice · peppers · cooking · Hungary

Made from peppers. Paprika comes from a type of pepper called Capsicum annuum. These peppers are dried and ground into a fine powder that becomes the spice we sprinkle on food.

Sweet and mild. Most paprika is made from mild, sweet peppers with thin flesh. These peppers are much gentler than the hot peppers used to make spicy chili powder.

Colors your food. Paprika gives dishes a beautiful red or orange color. It's popular in European cooking, especially in Hungarian cuisine where it flavors everything from stews to soups.

Seeds matter. Sweet paprika has most of its seeds removed, keeping it mild and gentle. Hotter paprika keeps some seeds and stalks in the mixture to give it a spicy kick.