Sweet, spice, smoky, hot or not: Get to know the spice family that has it all.
(Courtesy of Pereg Natural Foods) The experts at Pereg, a leading producer of all-natural spices from around the world, offers more than 60 spices and spice blends sourced from all corners of the earth. Every once in a while, their in-house spice expert, Joy, focuses on new product introductions and seasonal spices from the Pereg pantry. Her mission is to inspire cooks and consumers to explore the world of seasonings by spotlighting the unique properties of each product and offering up creative ideas.
Her latest passion: paprika, the spice with multiple, delightful personalities. “It’s a must for everyone’s spice cabinet,” she said..
The world’s fourth-most consumed spice, paprika goes way beyond adding color to deviled eggs. It appears in rubs, marinades, stews, chilis and numerous cuisines. Without paprika there would be no Mexican rice, no Hungarian goulash and no Italian sausages. Let’s be honest, who wants to live in a world like that?
Pereg’s test kitchens recommend getting started with paprika in baked eggs, potato casseroles, sprinkled on roasted tomatoes and in beef stews. It’s a wonderful way to add flavor and complexity to vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as dishes that are light on fat. Moreover, it’s a great replacement for salt – welcome news for those watching their sodium intake.
Ready to meet the many faces of paprika? Discover the unique personality of each with these simple recipes.
Spanish Paprika: Paprika Glazed Chicken
(Courtesy: “The Set Table,” Amit Women/Albert Einstein School of Medicine)
Ingredients
- One whole chicken cut into eighths
- 1 egg, beaten
- Cornflake crumbs
- Glaze
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Pereg Spanish Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Pereg coarse grind black pepper
Directions
Dip chicken into egg, then cornflake crumbs. Place in pan in a single layer. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Pour glaze over chicken. Baste several times and bake 30 minutes more.
Mediterranean Extra Sweet Paprika: The most commonly used paprika is made from sweet red peppers, making for a spice that doesn’t have much heat at all. Instead, its flavor is fruity and a little bitter. Sprinkle this darker colored paprika on deviled eggs or use it to make classic Hungarian dishes like goulash.
Hot Paprika: Adds just the right amount of heat to pasta, tomato dishes, Moroccan fish, hummus, goulash and and creates a beautiful color to any dish.
Hot with Oil Paprika: This variety of paprika is made with spicy red peppers (the hot doesn’t stop even if it’s dried). Spicier and livelier than sweet paprika, this variety gets even more intense when you heat it up with butter or oil.
Sweet with Oil Paprika: The fresh red pepper is rich in Vitamin C and increases blood circulation. With the added oil, it enhances the flavor and aroma. Add to pasta, tomato dishes and Hungarian dishes. Adds splash of color to any dish.
Smoked Paprika: This gourmet quality paprika is far superior to the bland Hungarian or domestic varieties available at your local supermarket. The fresh pods from the mild Nora pepper are smoked over oak logs to develop the flavors. This technique brings out different aspects of the pepper’s complex flavor, thus we suggest trying out at least two different varieties in your cooking. Peppers smoked over an oak fire develop into a rich complex palate which is much more powerful and pronounced than in our sun-dried varieties. Use this paprika to develop rich flavors on meat and seafood dishes.
Spanish Paprika: Try this bright paprika to add color, as its flavor is not too dominant. Use it on tomato dishes, hummus, goulash and fish.
