Hungarian Paprika

Where it comes from

Hungarian paprika comes from Capsicum annuum peppers grown around the towns of Kalocsa and Szeged on the southern Great Plain. After harvest, the peppers are strung up in long red garlands to air-dry, then ground at varying coarseness and heat into eight official grades: különleges (special quality), édes (sweet), csípős (hot), erős (strong), and several intermediate ranks.

Flavor & pairing

The Hungarian style is brighter and less smoky than Spanish pimentón, with a fruity bell-pepper sweetness and clean color. Heat varies from none to substantial. Hungarian paprika pairs with sour cream, lard, onion, beef, pork, river fish, and dumplings.

How it’s used

Goulash — gulyás — adds heaping spoonfuls to a paprika-lard rántás base before the meat hits the pot. Csirkepaprikás chicken paprikash and Hungarian fish soup halászlé both depend on the sweet and hot grades together. Hungarian sausage and lecsó tomato-pepper stew use it. Authentic Hungarian paprika is always added off the heat to prevent the capsaicin from burning.

Trade history

Albert Szent-Györgyi won the 1937 Nobel Prize in Physiology for isolating vitamin C — using Szeged paprika as his abundant local source.