You almost immediately see the difference between the fresh spiced paprika and the sweet peppers. The spiced paprika is slightly sharper than the other. They both belong, like the chili, to the plant genus Capsicum. They are Solanaceae and, in addition, Capsicum annuum is the most widely used variety in Europe.
Capsicum annuum is a perennial shrub, although they are not hardy. For this reason, they are one year old in this country. The cold winters in the north cause the plants to die. They are then re-seeded annually. Their stature height can be up to several meters, they have egg-shaped green leaves. They bloom with white flowers. From these then the paprika fruits are formed, which are always first green and when ripe first yellow and then red.
The different paprika powder forms do not come from different paprika varieties but from different processing. The hot paprika powder is made from dried whole fruits. They contain the sharp inner walls and the seeds of the fruits, which are responsible for the spiciness of the spice powder.
For the mild paprika powder, the pods are gutted after harvest and their inner sidewalls are removed. Then they are dried and pulverized.
Culinary use
The national spice of Hungary. It came to our region as a spice for goulash straight from Hungary. The Europeans had no interest in chilies long ago, they preferred expensive black pepper. Only the Ottoman Turks brought the chili to Hungary, which then occupied the country. From here spread chili and also the mild forms, the pepper was bred. So it became the national spice of Hungary. You make your goulash with a lot of mild spicy paprika and onions. Paprika is also generously used for the preparation of many stews and for poultry dishes (such as fried chicken).
Storage
Please fill all spices, in jars with screw cap closure. The glasses can be easily sterilized in boiling water. Five minutes is enough. Store the glasses with your spices in a dry, cool place and protect from the sun. The ideal temperature is 15 ° C.
