Paprika (US English more commonly /pəˈpriːkə/ (About this soundlisten),[1] British English more commonly /ˈpæprɪkə/ (About this soundlisten)[2]) is a ground spice made from dried red fruits of sweeter varieties of the plant Capsicum annuum.[3] It is traditionally made from Capsicum annuum varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh.[4][5] In many 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).[6][7]:5, 73
The peppers used in making paprika originate from North America, in particular Central Mexico, where they have been cultivated for centuries. The peppers were subsequently introduced to the Old World, when peppers were brought to Spain and Portugal in the 16th century. The seasoning is used to add color to many types of dishes in diverse cuisines.
The trade in paprika expanded from the Iberian Peninsula to Africa and Asia,[7]:8 and ultimately reached Central Europe through the Balkans, then under Ottoman rule, which explains the Hungarian 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.[7]: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, placentas, and calyces.[7]:5, 73 The red, orange or yellow color of paprika is due to its content of carotenoids.[10]
Peppers, the raw material in paprika production, originated from North America, where they grow in the wild in Central Mexico and have for centuries been cultivated by the peoples of Mexico. The peppers were later introduced to the Old World, to Spain in the 16th century.
The plant used to make the Hungarian version of the spice was grown in 1569 by the Turks at Buda[11] (now part of Budapest, the capital of Hungary). Central European paprika was hot until the 1920s, when a Szeged breeder found a plant that produced sweet fruit, which he grafted onto other plants.[9]
The first recorded use of the word paprika in English is from 1896,[11] although an earlier reference to Turkish paprika was published in 1831.[12] The word derives from the Hungarian word, paprika,[13] which in turn came from the Latin piper or modern Greek piperi, ultimately from Sanskrit pippalī.[11] Paprika and similar words, peperke, piperke, and paparka, are used in various Slavic languages for bell peppers.[7]:5, 73
Paprika is produced in various places including Argentina, Mexico, Hungary, Serbia, Spain, the Netherlands, China, and some regions of the United States.[14][15]
Hungary is a major source of commonly used paprika.[15] It is available in different grades:
Noble sweet (Édesnemes) – slightly pungent (the most commonly exported paprika; bright red)
Special quality (különleges) – the mildest (very sweet with a deep bright red color)
Delicate (csípősmentes csemege) – a mild paprika with a rich flavor (color from light to dark red)
Exquisite delicate (csemegepaprika) – similar to delicate, but more pungent
Pungent exquisite delicate (csípős csemege, pikáns) – an even more pungent version of delicate
Rose (rózsa) – with a strong aroma and mild pungency (pale red in color)
Semi-sweet (félédes) – a blend of mild and pungent paprikas; medium pungency
Strong (erős) – the hottest paprika (light brown in color)[15]
Spanish paprika (pimentón) is available in three versions—mild (pimentón dulce), mildly spicy (pimentón agridulce) and spicy (pimentón picante). The most common Spanish paprika, Pimentón de la Vera, has a distinct smoky flavor and aroma, as it is dried by smoking, typically using oak wood.[16] Pimentón de Murcia is not smoked, traditionally being dried in the sun or in kilns.[17]
source
0 Comments