Paprika
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? Paprika |
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 Assorted paprika fruits from
Mexico
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| Capsicum
annuum L. |
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Paprika, Capsicum annuum, is a sweet-to-mildly hot cultivar of the chile pepper of the family Solanaceae. It is cultivated for its fruit, which are dried and used as a spice or seasoning. C.annuum is a native of South America; however it is cultivated most extensively in Hungary. The English word was borrowed directly from Hungarian, which in turn borrowed the term from the adjacent Slavic peoples, among whom the word has survived since its inception in Proto Indo-European (p+p+r). Modern variations of the word exists in most European languages. The word "paprika" can be used to describe both the fruit and the spice.
Types of paprika
Paprika is principally used as an ingredient in a broad variety of dishes throughout the world. Paprika (pimentón in Spain) is principally used to season and colour rices, stews, and soups. In Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey, paprika is also used in the preparation of sausages as an ingredient that is mixed with meats and other spices.
The term "paprika" more particularly refers to the sweet capsicum varieties of dehydrated fruits as well as the ground spice. The term sweet (or "dulce" in Spanish, as in "pimenton dulce") refers to the fact that this capsicum variety is quite mild.
There are many and increasing number of capsicum varieties that are being developed to satisfy the increasing demand for spicier paprika as international cuisine, principally spicier Mexican, Latin, Chinese, and Indian recipes, go mainstream in the US and European markets.
The paprika plant
The paprika plant is a herbaceous annual, with a densely branched stem. The plant reaches 0.5–1.5 m (20–60 in). Single white flowers bear the fruit which is green when unripe, changing principally to red, but sometimes to brown or purple. Only red-ripening fruits are used for paprika.
While paprika plants tolerate nearly every climate and are grown all over the world, they are especially productive in warm and dry climates. The paprika pods are harvested during the late summer and early autumn. In Peru and some other equatorial countries, farmers have been able to harvest year-round. Paprika colour is closely related to sun exposure, while a warm climate produces a strong aroma.
Nutritional value
Paprika is noted for its high vitamin C content (150–250 mg/100 g). In fact, vitamin C was first isolated (by Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi) from Hungarian paprika. The paprika with pointed tips or cherry shaped minis have especially high vitamin C content and are usually very hot. The carotene ( vitamin A source) content of the fruit is 10 mg/100g; in addition, it is high in vitamins B1 and B2. The spicy, hot species have a capsaicin content over 1,000 mg per fruit, while others display 250–500 mg.
World trade
Peru is probably the world's leading producer of paprika, exporting as much as 75,000 metric tons in 2005. The United States, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Hungary are significant producers as well. The United States is the world's leading consumer of paprika, consuming as much as 40,000 metric tons in 2005. In the US, California, New Mexico, and western Texas are the main producers.