Paprika Magic
Posted on June 6, 2008. Filed Under Articles
Paprika, the Magic Ingredient
Farad Jon Be a Magyar Konyhaba! Another month has gone by and I’m that much closer to enjoying all I planted in my garden. In New Hampshire the growing season is short because of the cold winters, heavy snow and cold soil. It takes at least till Memorial Day for the ground to get warm enough so you can put in seeds. Most people raise plants in their house or sun rooms from seeds and then transplant them when the weather conditions permit. All the
plants in my garden came from seeds that were started many weeks ago. You might pay a little more money for plants but in the long run you gain valuable growing time. I always mention the weather in my column and that’s because most conversations will always contain something about the weather. If we didn’t have the weather to talk about it would leave sports, food, family, work, golf and the William Penn Association. I always mention golf as well. It’s obvious I need to put more things in my life other than food, garden and golf.
I did just that earlier this month when I joined National Directors Ron Balla and Bill Bero to prepare and serve dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh. The folks who stay at RMH have children being given medical attention at hospitals in the Pittsburgh area. We prepared and served 30 house guests, the staff and were invited to stay for dinner as well. The menu consisted of a fresh garden salad, Hungarian chicken breast, Yukon gold smashed potatoes, fresh green beans and for dessert buttery pound cake topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream. By providing a meal of comfort foods a family has one less thing to worry about. The smiles and thanks were many when we left later that evening. It was great to perform this community service on behalf of the William Penn Association.
The column this month is all about Paprika. National Director Barbara House wrote to me and asked if I would write about paprika the ingredient that makes Hungarian cooking what it is. BUT once again before we start here is your trivia of the month…What is Kadarka and how does it relate to Hungarian paprika? The answer is waiting for you at the end. And now here we go into the kitchen.
Paprika is a powder that comes from grinding up the pods of that particular pepper plant. What makes Hungarian paprika special is the fact that only bell peppers are used alone. The technical name is capsicum annum L. Paprika was not indigenous to Hungary but was brought in by the Turks in the 1500’s. The use of the paprika plant was not of a culinary nature but rather ornamental as the plants were used to decorate many gardens. The plant itself is green but the brilliant red pepper it produces would give any garden a boost of color. The Turks roamed all over Hungary and came across many herdsmen and shepherds who were the first to learn of the culinary values of paprika. They watched the Turks spice their meals with the red powder and did the same. To make the most out of simple meals spice it up. Hungarian peasants learned to do just that and the powder was introduced to the well to do when they noticed peasant food not tasting bland but flavorful. Most of the peasants worked or cooked for the rich so from that point forward paprika was used by all the population of Hungary. That’s a brief history of how paprika is associated with the Magyars.
Now let’s get into more facts about paprika. Hungary has a climate that is very conducive to growing the best paprika in the world. You can get it from Spain, South America and even California but the best comes from the land of the Magyars. The peppers are harvested in the fall and tied together in strings and left to air dry outside protected from the rain. Earthenware ovens were the last step used to dry the peppers turning them into dried pods. The pods were then crushed by foot and finally by mortar and pestle into the fine powder we enjoy today. The best areas for paprika in Hungary are Kalocsa and Szeged both located in southern region.
CAPSAICIN is the active component in chili peppers that cause an irritating burning sensation when it is consumed. It is also used in pharmaceutical applications as a pain reliever. To get real hot paprika the seeds and veins were both crushed. A milder tasting paprika was obtained by removing the seeds and the veins which took time and made the product a bit more expensive due to more labor. The Palfy brothers from Szeged invented a way to remove the seeds and veins allowing for mass production of the sweet powder. More people use the sweet over the hot variety. Actually there are eight types of Hungarian paprika.
SPECIAL QUALITY (Különleges) is the mildest tasting and has the best red color of all the powdered products. DELICATE (csípősmentes csemege) is a mild paprika with great flavor and color. EXQUISITE DELICATE (csemege paprika) is a little stronger than the delicate variety. PUNGENT EXQUISITE DELICATE (csípős csemege) is just like the exquisite delicate with a little more kick. NOBLE SWEET (édesnemes) this is the most common type slightly pungent with a bright red color. HALF SWEET (félédes) is a medium pungent in taste with good color paprika. ROSE (rόzsa) is light red in color and mildly hot. HOT (erős) is the hottest and light brown orange in color.
Cooking with paprika gives you a few options. The Hungarian Trinity consists of lard, onions and paprika used in a lot of Magyar dishes. Mostly it’s used in the powder form and added to meats, stews and vegetable dishes. Paprika can be smoked for additional flavor. In fact paprika releases most of its flavor when heated. You can cut the fresh peppers and put them in salads, home made relish or use them as a food garnish. They also can be pickled and kept for future use. Paprika also comes in a paste form ERŐS PISTA which is the hot, spicy paprika and ÉDES ANNA the sweeter version preferred by most. As you can see paprika has a unique flavor which can be used in many ways making it a spice that should be in every kitchen.
On the healthy side paprika is very high in vitamin C. In 1937 Albert Szent-Györyi won a Nobel Prize for discovering the vitamin in paprika. The capsicum peppers contain nine times more vitamin C than tomatoes by weight.
Daily use of paprika has normalized blood pressure while improving your body’s circulation. It also aids in the digestive process by increasing saliva and gastric juices which break down your food. It is also an antibacterial agent and stimulant that keeps your body working properly. At one time paprika was used as a cure for intermittent fever.
The dishes most commonly associated with paprika are csirke paprikas, kolbasz, krumpli paprikas, paprikas szallona, gulyas, pörkölt, Hungarian sauerkraut, szekely gulyas and töltott kaposzta.
You can find the hot and sweet versions of paprika in most food stores and Hungarian butcher shops. If you want to get the other types try online European specialty food websites for best results.
Now you all know more about the wonderful spice paprika. I tip my chef’s toque to all and leave you recipes you can make using paprika.
Next month we will learn about the berries of summer and how you can use them in many culinary ways. Trivia answer…KADARKA is the red grape used to make the famous Hungarian wine Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) and enhances the best taste of paprika in Hungarian dishes. Have a great month!
Jo etvagyat, Chef Bela.
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I’m a chef in NY, and am writing a short article on paprika. While researching I found reference to a Hungarian cake with a filling flavored with paprika - pretty unusual! I have scoured the internet, local libraries, to no avail.
Have you heard of such a cake and have you a recipe?