Paprika

This article is about the spice. For other uses, see Paprika (disambiguation).

Paprika
Mallorcan pimentón tap de cortí paprika
Food energy
(per 100 g serving)
282 kcal (1181 kJ)
Nutritional value
(per 100 g serving)
Protein14 g
Fat13 g
Carbohydrate54 g

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.[9] Sweet paprika is mostly composed of the pericarp, with more than half of the seeds removed, whereas hot paprika contains some seeds, stalks, ovules, and calyces.[6]: 5, 73  The red, orange or yellow color of paprika is due to its content of carotenoids.[10]

  1. ^ a b "paprika". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ^ "pepper". Retrieved April 7, 2017 – via The Free Dictionary.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Bray, Matt (April 2, 2022). "Is Paprika Spicy?". PepperScale. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Azhar Ali Farooqi; B. S. Sreeramu; K. N. Srinivasappa (2005). Cultivation of Spice Crops. Universities Press. pp. 336–. ISBN 978-81-7371-521-1. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d Andrews, Jean (1995). Peppers: The Domesticated Capsicums (New ed.). Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. p. 8. ISBN 9780292704671. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  7. ^ Latham, Elizabeth (February 3, 2009). "The colourful world of chillies". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  8. ^ Ayto, John (1990). The Glutton's Glossary: A Dictionary of Food and Drink Terms. London: Routledge. p. 205. ISBN 9780415026475. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  9. ^ Sasvari, Joanne (2005). Paprika: A Spicy Memoir from Hungary. Toronto, ON: CanWest Books. p. 202. ISBN 9781897229057. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ijms was invoked but never defined (see the help page).