They are similar to fresh sweet peppers and spiced peppers. The subtle difference is that the spice paprika is a bit sharper in the end than the sweet paprika. Both belong, like the chili, to the plant genus Capsicum. They are nightshade plants (Solanaceae). The spice paprika - capsicum annuum is the most widespread variety in Europe.
Capsicum annuum is usually a perennial shrub. However, it is not hardy. Therefore, one speaks in this country of annual plants. Our cold winters kill the plants. Every year they are reared from seed. They can reach a stature height of several meters, and have egg-shaped green leaves with white flowers in the flowering period. This produces the green pepper fruits that turn yellow when ripe and then red.
The pepper flakes are made from sweet peppers. After harvesting, they are dried and then roughly cut.
Culinary use of red pepper flakes
The red pepper flakes have a fine, sweet aroma, like that of the fresh red pepper pod. They can be used for many things. Add it to goulash, salads, chicken, risotto or minced meat.
Hungary's national spice
At the time of Christopher Columbus, Europeans had little interest in chili. They much preferred the expensive black pepper. But other regions around the world found chili very interesting and quickly incorporated it into their cooking culture. It was the Ottoman Turks who brought the chili back to Europe. They introduced it to Hungary, which they then occupied. From here, chili spread across Europe in much more mild forms than in the tropics. The sweet peppers were bred and widely grown.
Storage of spices
Please fill your spices into jars with screw cap closure. These glasses are easy to clean. Before each new use, simply put them in boiling water for five minutes and sterilize them. Store the glasses in a dark, dry and cool place. The ideal temperature for storing spices is 15 ° C.
