Paprika refers to the powder ground from the dried fruit of the red pepper plant.
Contrary to popular belief, Hungarian food is not usually spicy hot but, of course, some hot paprika can be added if it is preferred.
The pepper plant is a native of America and was completely unknown in Europe until America was discovered and Christopher Columbus bought the seeds back to Spain.
The first plants arrived in Hungary during the 17th century.
There are several theories as to how they first arrived. The main ones being that they were bought in by the Turks who were occupying Hungary at the time or that they were bought in by people fleeing the Turks from the Balkans. The last one is perhaps more likely to be true as Szeged and Kolcsa , the main commercial growing regions for paprika in Hungary, are close to the Balkans so it is very likely that those people settled and began growing it there.
Records show that paprika has been used as a spice in Hungarian cooking since the end of the 18th century.
The Hungarian paprika is a very rich red colour and considerably more expensive than its Spanish counterpart which is an orange, less flavourful powder. Apparently, because it recognises that Hungarian paprika is of a superior quality and fetches the highest prices, the rest of Europe is now trying to grow the types of peppers that will give them equal results.
In England paprika is seldom used except as a garnish – to add colour to an otherwise bland looking dish. It has never gained popularity in English kitchens firstly as there is a lack of knowledge as to how to use it correctly and secondly, the misconception that it is a hot spice and is confused with chilli.
One of the only Hungarian dishes that is cooked in England is “Goulash” which is a name given to meat & tomato casserole that has had a “pinch” of paprika added to make it “Hungarian”. Not a dish that any Hungarian would recognise.
On the rare occasions I have seen Television chefs cook with paprika I have cringed watching them “burn” the spice which can only give it a bitter taste leading to another reason for it not being used in England.
In true Hungarian cooking paprika is used by the dessertspoonful and it is a spice that is cooked with the other ingredients and not added at the end to give flavour. Beware, though! Cooking with paprika must be done with care if you are to retain the colour and aroma of the spice. A lot of Hungarian dishes call for onions to be sautéed in oil (or traditionally lard) until transparent. They must then be taken off the heat and allowed to cool a little before the paprika is added then liquid is stirred in almost immediately or it will burn and all you will be left with is a bitter, unusable mass.
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