Hungarian Paprika - Facts, History & Recipes

Although paprika is the syambol of Hungary's cuisine the plant was brought to the country by the Turks only in the 16-17th centuries.

its pungency ranges from sweet to mildly hot and very hot, depending of the type of pepper the powder was produced. The colour of the spices varies from mild to bright red and there are papika powder types with brownish colour too.

Note that not the brightest red paprika is the hottest!
The orange coloured one will make you really cry.

the hotness is caused by capsaicin, a chemical that is extracted from paprika plants to use in pharmaceutical production due to its pan killer effect

The fresh red pepper is rich in vitamin C (150mg/100g paprika) and other important minerals

Albert Szent-Györgyi, Hungarian scientist was awarded the Noble prize in 1937 for discovering vitamin C, its anti-scorbuitc and other physiological effects.
He and his colleagues worked at the laboratory of the Szeged University. Szent-Györgyi and his collegues experimented with the paprika plant and they extracted vitamin C first in the world form the vegetable.

Would you think that even pálinka (brandy) is made from paprika?

History of Hungarian Paprika

The Turks introduced the pepper plant to Hungary during their rule in the 16th-17th centuries.

At first it was regarded and used as an ordinary plant and decorated the gardens.

Sheperds and herdsmen who had more contact with the invaders started spice their meals with the fiery powder.

Aristocrats found the peasant foods flavoured with the red spice very tasty and slowly they started to use paprika too.

By the 19th century paprika became a dominant spice in Hungarian kitchens and restaurants.

Production of Hungarain Paprika

The farmers used to hung the paprika string in a rainproof area and let them desiccate by the sunshine then dried them in earthenware ovens.

The dried pods were crushed by foot then ground into a fine powder using a mortar and a pestle.

Water mills and later steam-powered mills replaced the manual kulu towards the end of he 19th century.

During the first decades of paprika production the pungency of the powder couldn't be controlled.

The pepper's veins and seeds that contain the capsaicin responsible for its pungency were manually removed from the dried, crushed pods prior to grinding.

Not only the process was lenghty, but some capsaicin always remained in the pods which made it impossible to predict the hotness of the powder.

In the mid 1800ies the Palfy brothers from Szeged invented an efficient way to remove the veins and seeds thus enabling mass-market production of the sweet Hungarian paprika that has always had a larger market than the hot types.

Types of Hungarian paprika

In the shops you can find 8 brands of Hungarian paprika varying in colour and pungency:

Where to buy Hungarian paprika?

The best source is of course its homeland, Hungary, so if you visit our country stock up on this red spice.

To buy real good homemade paprika powder for less look for peasants (usually women wearing kertchiefs on their heads) selling it in plastic sachets in the markets.

Homemade paprika has more deeper colour and richer taste and aroma. You can also get good Hungarian paprika in any grocery shop.

Outside Hungary look for shops selling imported spices they surely have Hungarian paprika in stock, browse the spice shelves of the big supermarkets you too.

Tip

Purchase paprika powder in small quantities and store it in a cool, dry place, in an airtight container away from sunlight and heat to prevent it from going stale!

Cooking with Hungarian Paprika

Braising chopped onion in oil or lard and adding paprika powder you get the base of many Hungarian dishes including pörkölt (stew).

To release the full flavour and aroma of the paprika you have to add it to hot lard or oil, but pay attention because it can easily get burnt because of its sugar content. Burnt paprika tastes bitter and can ruin the whole dish.

To be on the safe side turn the heat under the pan to the lowest level or remove the pan from the heat while you add the paprika to the hot oil and stir the mixture continuously.

Quickly add the meat or vegetable (potatoe, mushroom etc.) and some water or other liquid (it can vary from recipe to recipe) to the paprika gravy to reduce the heat.

Now you can put the pan back to the heat and continue cooking according to the recipe.

Kadarka enhances the best the taste of paprika in Hungarian dishes. This red grape used to be a major component in the famous Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) but the communist regime almost made it disappear from Hungarian vineyards. Luckily some talented vine makers have started to revive this great red.

The rich, spicy aromas makes Kadarka a perfect wine choice to accompany dishes made with Hungarian paprika powder.

Hungarian Paprika
History, Facts & Recipes