Livré en sachet refermable
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Uses in Cooking:
Paprika has a very mild, almost sweet, creamy flavor. Its vibrant red color adds visual appeal to dishes, bringing a beautiful warm hue to food.
It is used in Spanish escabeche preparations for mussels and fish, in potatoes, in certain cured meats like sobrasada and chorizo, and in Provence, it flavors rouilles that accompany fish soups. It is also delicious in a simple mayonnaise.
In Hungary, it is the main ingredient in goulash, and in Russia, it flavors borscht.
Paprika is excellent simply sprinkled over fried eggs, adding a lively touch to plates when dusted around the edges.
It is also widely present in Asian, North African, and Spanish cuisines.
Like all "peppers" (as they are from the same family!), paprika has antiseptic properties, making it valued in preserves for its color and flavor. It is also noteworthy for its iron content.
Who am I?
Origin: Spain
Scientific name: Capsicum annuum
Paprika is a variety of pepper from the Solanaceae family, like all peppers, whether sweet or hot.
The spice is made from the ripe fruit of the plant, with the inner seeds removed to further soften the flavor since capsaicin, the spicy (or burning) component in chilis, is concentrated in the seeds. The flesh is then dried and ground into powder. The color of paprika varies depending on the climatic conditions the plant experienced, but the dominant color remains red.
A Bit of History:
The name "paprika" is borrowed from Hungarian.
Originally, all peppers and chilis come from South America. Europeans discovered them during their explorations of these regions. Botanists gave the generic name "Capsicum" to the many and varied chili varieties as they were discovered. Some were used as vegetables (these are what we now call "bell peppers") or as spices, such as hot or sweet peppers and, of course, paprika.
As Europeans settled in America, they encountered an incredible diversity in shape, size, color, and flavor of these fruits. They can be round, long, tiny, or large, with colors ranging from almost white yellow to nearly black red, passing through every green hue. Generally, the smaller they are, the hotter they taste!
In discovering these plants, Europeans also found how easily they could crossbreed, creating infinite shapes and flavors. The seeds, easy to transport, were first acclimated and spread in Asia and Africa, leading many to believe they originated there. Later, the milder varieties arrived in Spain around the 17th century and eventually spread to Hungary, where paprika was even used as a substitute for pepper during times of scarcity or financial hardship.
