The first mentions of the so-called Spanish pepper can be found in the writings of the physician on Columbus's first voyage. At first, it was not used much in the kitchen and was more of a botanical rarity in monastery and noble gardens. Sometime around 1580, it was grown quite widely in the vicinity of Brno. In the middle of the 16th century, it spread throughout Europe, and in Hungary, peasants dried and ground it into a powder. Paprika became the Hungarian national spice, and there is a legend associated with it about how Pasha Mehmed of Buda locked up a water carrier in his palace who recognised the rare bush and smuggled its seeds out of the palace, after which gardeners planted them around Buda.

Cooks discovered that food with paprika has a charming taste, pleasantly warms the tummy, and aids digestion.

Several types of paprika are prepared, and they are also used differently.

Delicacy Paprika

is finely sweet and is prepared from selected ripe fruits from which the seed partitions were removed before drying.

Noble Sweet Paprika

is prepared from carefully selected non-spicy fruits from which the seed partitions were removed before drying. It is slightly sharper than Delicacy Paprika because paprika seeds are added during grinding.

Semi-Sweet Paprika

also known as goulash paprika, has a sharper taste than Delicacy or Noble Sweet Paprika. It is produced from spicy types of paprika with the addition of seeds during grinding.

Hot Paprika

is ground from the removed seed partitions of high-quality spicy peppers. It is brownish-red in colour, has an intense aroma, and is very hot.

Mild Delicacy Paprika

has a very delicate taste and aroma, a fiery red colour, and a subtle sharp flavour. It is prepared from well-ripened fruits stripped of their seed partitions.

Red paprika contains a large amount of provitamin A and vitamin C. It is used for preparing sauces, soups, roasting, and in salads.