Paprika vs Sweet Paprika ??

I have a recipe that calls for sweet paprika. I only have regular, generic paprika on hand, and ive never tried sweet paprika.

What is the difference ( is the sweet paprika actually sweet ?)

can i use the regular paprika as a substitute?

If so, is there anything else i should add to capture a similar flavor?

larry

sweet paprika is the same as regular paprika that you have...

sweet refers to the hotness of it...

Thanks for the quick reply

larry

I agree with Bams on that and only know of one other kind, smoked paprika which is a lot hotter tasting.

joec said:

I agree with Bams on that and only know of one other kind, smoked paprika which is a lot hotter tasting.

Click to expand...

Smoked paprika is really good adds a lot of flavour

Miniman said:

Smoked paprika is really good adds a lot of flavour

Click to expand...

I think I use more smoked paprika now that sweet (regular) paprika. Love the flavor.

good fresh Hungarian Paprika is awesome...after using some good stuff the regular old grocery store stuff seems like food coloring.

There was an article on this in Cook's Illustrated a year or two ago but I won't get to those magazines until I'm in FL next week. Maybe someone here subscribes to their web site and could search it.

From The Cook's Thesaurus:

paprika

Notes: Paprika is made from special kinds of sweet red peppers, which are dried and ground. Varieties include the highly regarded and sweet Hungarian paprika = rose paprika = sweet paprika = Hungarian pepper and the cheaper and more pungent Spanish paprika = Spanish pepper = pimentón = pimenton. Cookbooks that call for paprika are usually referring to Hungarian paprika. Substitutes: cayenne pepper (much hotter)

And from Cook's Illustrated, March 1, 1993:

What's the difference between sweet and hot paprika?

Although we now associate paprika with Hungarian cooking, this bright red spice is native to the New World and was first brought to Europe by Columbus. The dried and powdered form of a red pepper called Capsicum annum, paprika was introduced in Hungary during the 16th century. Until the 19th century, the spice was always hot. At that time, Hungarian spice millers developed a process to remove the seeds and veins of the fiery red peppers. Because most of a pepper's heat is concentrated in the seeds and veins, the resulting paprika was "sweet." The intensity of the paprika could be controlled by removing some or all of the veins and seeds.

In recent years, much sweet paprika has been made from a mild red pepper hybrid that can be ground whole with the seeds and veins. Most of the sweet paprika sold in this country comes from this new pepper grown in Spain and California. But for paprika with superior flavor and character—whether it's sweet or hot—we recommend brands imported from Hungary.

Wow... I would never think of substituting cayenne for paprika. I don't think paprika is hot at all. At least not Hungarian or Spanish smoked, the two I use.

just an fyi: there are 8 types of hungarian paprika, varying in level of heat from sweet to extra hot, in richness from mild to pungent, and in colour from red to brown.

kulongleges = very mild and sweet, bright red
csiposmentes csemege = mild, delicately flavored
csemege paprika = a little stronger than delicate
cipos csemege = stronger yet, slightly more more pungent
edesnemes = noble sweet, the most common type, average heat and pungency
feledes = half sweet, but hotter than average
rozsa = more pungent than hot, light red
eros = the hot stuff

btw, there is no smoked paprika eastern europe. smoked paprika is spanish in origin.

hth.