Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

paprika

 
Dictionary: pa·pri·ka   (pă-prē'kə, pə-, păp'rĭ-kə) pronunciation
 
n.
  1. A mild powdered seasoning made from sweet red peppers.
  2. A dark to deep or vivid reddish orange.

[Hungarian, from Serbian, from papar, ground pepper, from Slavic *piprŭ, from Latin piper. See pepper.]


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a word or phrase...
All Community Q&A Reference topics
 

A type of pepper, Capsicum annuum (order Polemoniales), with nonpungent flesh, grown for its long red fruit. It is of American origin, but is most popular in Hungary and adjacent countries. Seeds are removed from the mature fruit, and the flesh is dried and ground to prepare the dry condiment commonly referred to as paprika. California is the only important producing state in the United States. See also Pepper; Solanales.


 

[pa-PREE-kuh; PAP-ree-kuh] Used as a seasoning and garnish for a plethora of savory dishes, paprika is a powder made by grinding aromatic sweet red pepper pods. The pods are quite tough, so several grindings are necessary to produce the proper texture. The flavor of paprika can range from mild to pungent and hot, the color from bright orange-red to deep blood-red. Most commercial paprika comes from Spain, South America, California and Hungary, with the Hungarian variety considered by many to be superior. Indeed, Hungarian cuisine has long used paprika as a mainstay flavoring rather than simply as a garnish. All supermarkets carry mild paprikas, while ethnic markets must be searched out for the more pungent varieties. As with all herbs and spices, paprika should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months. See also spices.

 
Nutritional Values: The Nutritional Value for: paprika
Top

Quantity Energy
(calories)
Carbohydrates
(grams)
Protein
(grams)
Cholesterol
(milligrams)
Weight
(grams)
Fat
(grams)
Saturated Fat
(grams)
1 tsp 5 1 0 0 2.1 0 0
 
Word Tutor: paprika
Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A red seasoning made by grinding certain peppers.

pronunciation The chef seasoned the goulash with paprika and other spices.

 
Wikipedia: Paprika
Top
A small bowl of smoked Spanish paprika
Packaged ground and whole dried paprika for sale at a Belgrade marketplace.
The various shapes and colors of the capsicum fruit used to prepare paprika.

Paprika is a spice made from the grinding of dried Capsicum (e.g. bell pepper). In many European countries, the word paprika also refers to bell peppers themselves. The seasoning is used in many cuisines to add color and flavor to dishes. Flavors also vary widely from country to country (ex. Hungarian paprika or Spanish pimentón is traditionally either spicy or sweet).

Contents

Origins

According to Hindu legend, Paprika is said to have been named after a religious Indian figure named "Rysh Paprike".[1] It has also been speculated that Paprika is a derivation of the Serbian word 'paprena' which means 'spicy', then apparently forming it into 'paprika'.

Usage

Paprika is used as an ingredient in a broad variety of dishes throughout the world. Paprika is principally used to season and color rices, stews, and soups, such as goulash and in the preparation of sausages as an ingredient that is mixed with meats and other spices. It is often smoked to draw additional flavors.

In Spain, paprika is known as pimentón, and is quite different in taste; pimentón has a distinct, smokey flavor and aroma, and is a key ingredient in several sausage products, such as chorizo or sobrasada, as well as much Spanish cooking. Outside of Spain pimentón is often referred to as simply "smoked paprika" and can be found in varying intensities from sweet and mild (dulce), medium hot (agridulce), or very hot and spicy (picante).

Nutrition

Paprika is unusually rich in vitamin C. Hungary's 1937 Nobel prize-winner Albert Szent-Györgyi first discovered this fact in 1932.[2] Capsicum peppers used for paprika contain six to nine times as much vitamin C as tomatoes by weight.[3]

High heat leaches the vitamins from peppers, thus commercially-dried peppers are not as nutritious as those that are sun-dried.

Paprika is also high in other antioxidants[4], containing about 10% of the level found in açaí berries. Prevalence of nutrients, however, must be balanced against quantities ingested, which are generally negligible for spices.

See also

References

External links


 
Translations: Paprika
Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - paprika

Nederlands (Dutch)
paprikapoeder, rode paprika

Français (French)
n. - paprika

Deutsch (German)
n. - Paprika

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μαγειρ.) πάπρικα

Italiano (Italian)
paprica

Português (Portuguese)
n. - páprica (f), colorau (m)

Русский (Russian)
паприка

Español (Spanish)
n. - pimentón, pimienta húngara, morrón, pimiento

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - paprika

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
辣椒粉, 红辣椒

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 辣椒粉, 紅辣椒

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 단맛이 나는 고추의 일종, 그 씨에서 만든 향미료

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - パプリカ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) فلفل, شطه, فلفل حلو‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פפריקה, פלפלת, פלפל אדום‬


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sci-Tech Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food Lover's Companion. Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Nutritional Values. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Paprika" Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more