Sweet Paprika

Sweet paprika is a spice that deserves a special space on your spice-y shelf! Why? If your eyes have popped out... then here is a piece you could read up to enlighten yourself on punk paprika. You are in for a sweet and spicy read!

Caution: This article will spice up your savory senses! So trod along slow and steady! Well, you don't need to get all puzzled with this statement. All I intend to convey is that this article on sweet paprika is all set to aid you comprehend what sweet paprika is and how you would decipher sweet paprika from the smoked variety of the said spice. Let us embark on our journey to discover the dice that this spice has in store for us!

What is Sweet Paprika?

Sweet paprika, in cuisine-killer kitchens, has the potential to enhance the flavors and juices of a dish that lacks the necessary tang. Whether it's egg salad or potato salad, its flavors can rev up the taste buds of any dish. To describe the origination of paprika spice, it is a spice that is made from dried bell pepper. It is when red bell peppers are dried and grounded that we derive paprika in a granular form. Paprika is sprinkled as well as summed in Hungarian dishes, not to leave alone the titillating flavors it spreads in European cuisines. The brownish red color of sweet paprika is used to add color to the fruits. Interestingly, it serves to be the most essential ingredient in sausages of Spanish, German and Portugal origin.

Paprika is known for its saucy flavors it lends to transform a drab dish to a delectable platter. Paprika exists in different states. Here are the grades of paprika that you would find on the grocery spice shelf.

Hot or Eros is a paprika grade that elicits a lot of heat and proves to make the preparation spicy. In appearance, it has a light brown shade.

Noble Sweet or Sweet Paprika has a medium amount of heat to lend and its color is a strong red.

The Special Quality Paprika lends a very mild flavor, not delivering a lot of heat in the food. It is usually of a bright red color.

Out of these variants in paprika, the noble sweet, or the common reference being sweet paprika, could reserve a place on your spice cabinet. This is a preferred variant as it delivers a good color to the food, has a good taste and a mild traces of heat to deliver.

Substitutes for Sweet Paprika

'Oh! I am left with no paprika on my kitchen counter. How do I prepare the meal I decided?' Hold on. You don't have to change the menu you have set for your long awaited dinner party. All you need to do is to have one of these alternatives. There are three appropriate sweet paprika substitutes you could resort to use without any qualms.

Cayenne pepper can be used in place of sweet paprika. The coloring it lends to the dish is the same as sweet paprika. Nevertheless, cayenne pepper ranks slightly higher on the 'hotness' quotient. All you need to do is to add cayenne pepper with caution, depending on your preparation and your personal preference. You may increase or decrease the quantity or the amount you add to the dish to enhance the flavors.

Sun dried tomatoes could be used to supplicate the need of paprika in the dish. This will delver a slightly tangy and slightly sweet flavor accompanied with the perfect red color that you would love to see your dish adorn. This substitute has one down side and that is it does not have the pepper flavoring to deliver.

Another substitute is the Ground Aleppo peppers that could be sprinkled as a savory seasoning on any preparation. Its taste meter oscillates between the spicy cayenne pepper and tangy tomato flavors. However, it is better to have sweet paprika as the king condiment on your flavor chart!

Sweet Paprika vs Smoked Paprika

Well when we talk of smoked paprika, it has, in the most literal senses, a smoky savor to deliver to the dish. The color of smoked paprika is a rich red, with its aroma being smoky and its texture so smooth, it proves to be an ideal choice for salad dressing. In comparison to sweet paprika, smoked paprika provides a tad bit extra flavors in terms of its delicious depths!

So reserve a place on your kitchen shelves for sweet paprika and get ready to create a supremely seductive penchant platter!