Paprika Pepper, National Spice of Hungary, a Food Souvenir
Did you know Paprika pepper is the national spice of Hungary?
This post is dedicated to this spicy spice – Paprika Pepper. Paprika is used by Hungarians in their most celebrated dish Goulash. The fiery seasoning is devoured by Hungarians on an average of half a kilogram a year.
Due to the country’s cool growing season, the paprika retains sugar in the spice. This is one of the reasons why Hungarian paprika peppers are sweeter and most sought after.
Paprika Pepper, national Spice of Hungary
Hungarian paprika has an elaborate process of making from peppers. After peppers are harvested, they are sorted, toasted, and blended to create different varieties.
All Hungarian paprikas have some degree of rich, sweet red pepper flavor, but they range in pungency and heat.
The 8 grades of Hungarian paprika are:
- különleges (“special quality”; mild and most vibrant red)
- csípősmentes csemege (delicate and mild)
- csemege paprika (similar to the previous but more pungent)
- csípős csemege (even more pungent)
- édesnemes (“noble sweet”; slightly pungent and bright red)
- félédes (semi-sweet with medium pungency)
- rózsa (mildly pungent and pale red)
- erős (hottest and light brown to orange).
In the US, what is marketed as Hungarian sweet paprika is usually the édesnemes variety.
Paprika Pepper Food Souvenir from Hungary
Paprika, national spice of Hungary can be found in every shop there. Almost all the souvenir shop we visited in Budapest had this spice suspended in bunches.
Initially I assumed these bunches are for some kind of good luck, later I was told by Antal Halmos, it is the national spice of Hungary.
In India too paprika are consumed, these are sold in shops too but never displayed in such an aesthetic manner. I simply had to photograph. Have a good look at the picture below. It stuns me even today!
Some trivia about Paprika Pepper
1. In 1920s, unmarried women or women with older children picked peppers. That was because the peppers were of hot variety and could be used only after the pith was removed.
2. A Hungarian botanist cultivated a new, naturally sweet variety. They are sweet enough to use in desserts. Imagine, they make paprika cake!
3. Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi won Nobel Prize in 1937 partly for the discovery of vitamin C. He also found a high vitamin C content in paprika peppers and learned to extract it.
4. Vitamin C crystals from paprika peppers is used by people suffering from scurvy.
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These sure look aesthetic.
Also one of my favorite spices! Need to visit Hungary soon 😀
National spice…that sounds great. There are so many varieties… I think tastes also differ…isn’t it?
Paprika is one of my favorite pizza toppings. A very informative post dear 🙂
Wow never knew so much about Paprika! Indrani this would have been a perfect fit to my food souvenir section!!! 🙂
I am not much of a chilly lover but your post did offer some good informations with capture.
A thorough account on paprika 🙂
Nice arrangement of the spices. 🙂
a lot of NEW on Paprika 🙂
Nice interpretation of the challenge and then we turn to you “The Lady In Red” by Chris de Burgh. Greetings Albert and Mara
love the taste of both sweet and smoked Paprika, especially in roasted meats.
This was interesting and informative!
Very informative post.. thanks for sharing..
I did not know about this spice. The way it is hung,resembles , South Indian tradition of tying lemon and chilly to car and entrance of house :).
Nice to know about the national spice of Hungary .
Amazing displays dear. I love paprikas too! They add spice in life as well. 😛
I truly enjoy the informative and the visual delight of your posts. I have a smoked paprika cheese spread in my fridge and it is yumm 🙂
Half a kilogram of paprika! I wonder if they ever suffer from constipation… I don’t think so…
wow.. we get this here too 🙂
Didn’t knew about it.. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Very interesting info.
Nice Indrani to know about the tastes about foreign countries. Have heard about Goulash but never tasted one
Very nice pics, Indrani. Nice read 🙂
How different are they from our chillies? Hotter? Image looks good.
Depends on the variety. Some are hotter, though I didn’t taste all. 🙂
As always , enjoyed the pics and the post!
I thought they were just great pizza topping, superb snaps and lovely info. As always a pleasure to read and see.
This looks really Hot..Nice Info..
striking visuals!
Amazing Display !
Very interesting, equally informative, Brilliantly captured.
wow, nice bit of info..i did not know this…pretty interesting!!
I too was unaware of the fact that this happens to be the National spice of Hingary. It dwans on me that Pepper has many connotations. Here in India they are dried red chillies, is it not? The last photographs is definitely stunning.
i always love paprika…
me and my blogs are happy for your visit..take care always and have fun travelling..
bet they smell real good too
wow! they look like firecrackers…lol! firecrackers in the mouth…lol!
i had no idea! pretty cool. I love paprika..I use it a lot in my cooking…and now I know! Thanks!
Many thanks for the info to go with your lovely images..
I had no idea…
thats a lot of paprika. 🙂
I love learning all about spices here…this is a well thought out and researched post that you have put a lot of time into…this is what I would call really good blogging and writing done by someone who really cares about their blog.
Although «Louis» knew that paprika was "the national spice of Hungary," he did not know about the varieties. Very informative and interesting post, Indrani!
I learned plenty tonight! The paprika I buy has no flavor at all. I wonder why that is. I always that the spice added color rather than flavor. So now I know!
My late wife was Hungarian, so I developed quite a relationship with paprika during the 30 years we had together before she died. I still like paprika.
It's actually quite attractive hanging there!
Thanks for sharing this! In fact, my lunch today was scrambled eggs with mushrooms and paprika!
Happy Valentine's Day!!
I love Hungarian goulash ! My friend's father was Hungarian and she knows quiete a lot of recepes.
Really interesting post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Like all indians, did you ask for the price? and then did you bargain? 🙂
BTW, I have seen similar decoration of spices in New Mexico, USA too. I think the Mexicans also have a similar tradition..
What a neat post, I never knew what paprika looked like before processing. Goulash is one of my favorite dishes. Your photo of the store with the paprika peppers and the customer is fantastic. Thanks for sharing, Indrani!
Goulash is one of my favorite dishes (I make it in a slow cooker). Very pretty display of the peppers!
i love Hungarian sausage and it's all about paprika. it's the only Hungarian food i know.:p marvelous shots.
Nice pictures, but I can not stand the heat.
This is really a nice post. I never knew about this spice origin because I see them powdered/ground in a container!
Very interesting. I never knew my Hungarian grandfather but I heard he made a great goulash.
amazing displays indeed! beautifully captured!
Until I read your post did I find out that paprika comes from peppers. That is so interesting. Love the little shote with all the peppers hanging from the ceiling. Considering how much of it the Hungarian people eat, there must be lots of these little markets. Great post. genie
What amazing displays! It made me think of the kinds of spices we have in India but none are displayed as brilliantly as the ones shown here. Most interesting!
Never knew so much about paprika!
No doubt this post will be turned up in Google searches for years to come!
Warm Aloha from Waikiki
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Very interesting post. I wonder if Hungarian paprika has tumeric (curcumin) in it. In the U.S. the spice tumeric is in paprika which is something I'm interested in because studies have shown that tumeric can help fight melanoma and other cancers. I learned about this because I'm a melanoma survivor.
We commonly use pepper here in Italy, but certainly not all those spices.
Very interesting post, Indrani.
We use red peppers and paprika here in the states, but not like this! And I didn't know it is the national spice of Hungary! Really interesting post and photos for the day as always, Indrani! Hope your week is off to a great start!
Sylvia
I always thought that red peppers/paprika were only sweet… didn't know they were hot too.
Oh is it? thanks for the info…
Erős is my favourite, lovely paprika.