Sweet Hungarian paprika might look like regular paprika, but its taste couldnât be more different. Revered for its fruity pepper flavor, Hungarian paprika is utilized in numerous Eastern European dishes. It gives goulash â" the national dish of Hungary â" its famous smoky, sweet and rustic flavor, and itâs popular in potato salads, chicken paprikash and as a vibrant garnish.
Hungary produces several variations, ranging from noble sweet (mild) to strong (the hottest). Our sweet Hungarian paprika is graded noble sweet, a pungent, sweet paprika with a vibrant deep red color. Noble sweet paprika also has notes of oaky smoke and red bell pepper.
Paprika is made from the fruit of Capsicum annuum plants, which includes many varieties of peppers including bell peppers, jalapenos and New Mexico chili peppers. Hungarian paprika is most commonly made from sweet red peppers.
To produce the spice, the pods of the peppers are dried and ground. Yet, Hungarian paprika adds in several steps. The peppers are sorted by sweetness or spiciness. Spicier peppers are used for the âstrongâ paprika, while ânoble sweetâ paprika use sweet red peppers.
The peppers are smoked using oak, which gives the spice its distinctive rustic flavor. Once smoked, the peppers are then ground and blended. Ultimately, the color of the spice depends on the peppers used to make it.
For example, noble sweet paprika has a vibrant red color, while the hotter varieties tend to be reddish brown.
