Sweet Paprika

• Paprika is produced in a number of places, including Spain, Hungary and California. Imported from Europe, the sweet paprika commonly found in gourmet or international specialty stores is produced from a genre of Capsicum annum peppers known as Noble Sweet. The flavor of these peppers is very mild and slightly pungent. Sweet paprika is principally used to season and color rice, stews, soups, and as an ingredient in sausages. In Hungary especially, sweet paprika is one of the primary flavors in Hungarian cuisine and incorporated in many traditional dishes, including goulash and chicken paprikash.
  
  

Paprika

• The paprika commonly used in the American kitchen is not the same as the sweet paprika often used in European cuisine. Ground from generic sweet red bell peppers, American paprika is used primarily as a coloring agent and garnish rather than for its flavor. In American cuisine, paprika is sprinkled on a variety of dishes including deviled eggs, canapes, and salads.
  
  

Nutrition

• The Capsicum annum peppers used to make paprika are unusually rich in vitamin C as well as other antioxidants, something that was discovered by the Hungarian physiologist Albert von Szent-Györgyi de Nagyrápolt, who is credited with discovering vitamin C. Paprika retains much of the vitamin C found in the peppers and contains even more vitamin C than an equal amount of lemon juice. It is also an excellent source of betacarotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
  
  

Other Uses for Paprika

• Aside from paprika's many uses in recipes, it can also be found in the cosmetic aisle. From blush to eye shadow, paprika has been used in cosmetics for decades. It can also be used with henna powder to bring a reddish tint to hair when coloring. Paprika also contributes to the brilliant color displayed by flamingos--zoos regularly add paprika to food fed to flamingos to keep their plumage bright and rosy.