Every Variety Of Paprika And How To Use Each

For most people, paprika is just another addition to their spice cabinet and doesn't warrant too many spare thoughts. Unless a recipe specifically calls for it, paprika is, at best, the not-so-secret ingredient you sprinkle on deviled eggs and nothing extraordinary. Right? Wrong.

Paprika is actually a versatile spice with a rich flavor that can encompass smoky, spicy, and sweet notes. It has a wide variety of uses in home cooking and deserves a place of pride in your everyday rotation alongside perennial favorites like garlic powder, cumin, and kosher salt (which is Ina Garten's go-to type). Paprika is made from one of several different varieties of the red pepper plant, which has been dried and ground to produce the scarlet powder in your jar. Because different types of peppers are used in diverse growing regions, there are several distinct varieties of paprika –– four, to be precise. Not only do these varieties of paprika look, smell, and taste unique from one another, but they also have different culinary uses and will enliven different dishes.

The most flexible of the paprikas, the spice you see in the grocery store simply bearing the name "paprika" is regular paprika. It could come from California, Hungary, or South America. There's a possibility that it has been blended with cayenne pepper to give it more kick. Neither particularly sweet nor hot, this typical paprika adds dimension to a wide variety of dishes, from tomato sauces and barbecue seasoning to fried eggs. Choose a highly-rated, cost-effective regular paprika option and use it on almost everything.

It's almost a misnomer to refer to paprika as "Hungarian" since the national spice of Hungary comes in no fewer than eight distinct grades separated by spiciness and depth of flavor. What all Hungarian paprikas have in common is sweetness and a lack of a smoky essence. Paprika is the key ingredient that gives spice to Hungarian dishes like goulash and chicken paprikash, but you might enjoy using it as a table seasoning. It really benefits from blooming in oil on the stovetop but lends sweetness and pungency to cold dishes as well. Treat sweet Hungarian paprika like they do in Hungary, and set it beside the salt and pepper for liberal sprinkling.

Like its Hungarian cousin, Spanish paprika comes in different varieties. Also called pimentón, this paprika is divvied up into dulce, which is sweet, with little heat; agridulce, which means "bittersweet" and is slightly spicy; and picante, which is hot. The shape of the peppers and whether or not they are seeded determines the end product. Fun fact: Spanish paprika is what gives chorizo its fiery color. Unlike the hottest pepper in the world, even picante paprika is not going to blow your socks off, but it will give a pleasant zing to your Spanish-based and inspired cuisine, from carnitas to paella. Use this paprika variety to bring out the best in your sofrito base or with any kind of seafood.

The final type of paprika is another variety from Spain. This one, as the name suggests, is heavy on the smoke. It's dried over oaky fires in the La Vera region, giving it an irresistible earthiness. In the age of the internet, it's easy enough to find high-quality smoked paprika and have it delivered to your door, but, previously, regular paprika was sometimes mixed with a bit of cumin to duplicate the woodsy flair. It shines in marinades and sauces, doing a lot of heavy lifting with a big, inimitable flavor that tastes great with meats of all types. Vegetarian and vegan dishes also get a meaty boost from smoked paprika's round, roasted characteristics.