Paprika is a spice that isn’t used enough these days. In the mid-century decades, it was the go-to garnishment for your meals. Deviled Eggs without a sprinkle of the orange-red delight? What kind of heathen are you? Of course, back in the 1930s to 70s, it was cutting edge to use paprika. Food wasn’t quite as exciting as it is now. But it was a start.
But I digress; there is a complicated history behind how paprika became a staple of Eastern Europe.
The Hungarian Pepper (capsicum annuum) came out of the Americas after it was “discovered” by the Spanish, while they were destroying central Mexico, and Christopher Columbus himself brought back a ship laden with spices, and the peppers made it on that sailing.
The peppers are in the nightshade family, so like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants they all were brought to Europe, and then wound their way back the Americas, showing up in North America for the first time.
It eventually came to Hungary due to the Turks, in the 1500’s. It only came to the United States via Europe in the 1930s (though you have to know it was here long before, tucked into immigrant’s things. Seeds always came with them, so they could grow the food they loved.)
But there is an odd side note in it all. Hungary loved peppers. They didn’t have the best land for farming mono-crops, but they could grow peppers well. They mostly raised livestock and used paprika to flavor their meat stews (goulash).
Under the Soviet Union’s rule, every state and satellite state (Hungary was a satellite state) had to grow something, so they became excellent farmers.
If left to grow in a nice warm environment, they are yellow at first, then turn orange, and finally a deep red.
I grew ours in buckets in the greenhouse. In early summer, I had them outside with the tomatoes and brought them inside in August. I noted they were not doing well this year. This summer, it was below 60* every night. There were no warm summer evenings this year.
Once in the greenhouse, they started producing in large quantities. Peppers are still growing on the plants, even midway through October.
There are many paprikas one can purchase. The most common is sweet or mild paprika, made with peppers that have no heat.
There is smoked paprika, where the peppers are smoked before dehydrating, over wood smoke.
Then there are the spicier paprikas. These are often labeled “Hungarian Paprika. ” They can be mild to quite spicy. You can be as hot as a Jalapeno using a Hungarian Wax Pepper! There are so many choices.
Once the peppers were fully ripe, I picked them and let them air dry in a wire basket in our kitchen.
You can also split the peppers, remove the seeds, cut them into strips, and dehydrate them.
Once dehydrated, process in a coffee grinder or small mill, or, for authenticity, use a tiny mortar and pestle. Dried peppers are best kept whole and processed to powder as needed. They will be that much fresher and more vibrant in aroma and flavor.And enjoy adding it to your dishes, especially a good beef stroganoff.
Commercially processed paprika quickly loses its potency in aroma, taste, and even color. Within a month of opening, the color often fades into a light brick red.
So next year, consider growing some, either from the start (they do exist if one searches the fun growers) or one of the many varieties online in seed form—a nice spicy/hot one or this one, a sweet paprika.
~Sarah