Paprika is a fiery red spice which will instantly give a kick to recipes and it’s even packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which have health benefits. In fact, the seasoning may even improve your vision and there are claims it can help to reduce inflammation.
A staple in spice racks across the country, this tasty ingredient will liven up any meat or fish dish and is a game-changer on roasted vegetables too. And it’s a common addition to a prawn cocktail.
But have you ever wondered where it came from? That question has been discussed on social media platform X, previously Twitter, when a user admitted she was stunned to learn it didn’t come from a tree and was in fact a crushed version of a very common food.
The stunned @simsimmaaz admitted that she had only just learnt this fact and said: “Learning that paprika is just dried and crushed red bell peppers was really shocking. Like I dunno why I thought there was a Paprika tree somewhere,” reports the Mirror.
And her admission seemed to resonate with other social media users who revealed they didn’t know where the spice came from either.
One person admitted: “I didn’t think there was a paprika tree, but I for sure thought it was some kind of spice blend or like its own thing that they just powdered.”
Meanwhile, another shared their own spice confusions: “I also thought there was a curry tree and that allspice was a combination of spices.”
And that led to other food origin confessions. One user quipped: “You’re not as bad as me who didn’t realise guacamole is just avocados. I always thought it tasted familiar.”
Paprika can be made from a variety of peppers, including cayenne, bell, Aleppo, or sweet peppers. The process involves drying the peppers before grinding them into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
For those keen on DIY spices, making your own smoked paprika – a favourite for meat rubs and ranch dressings – requires smoking the peppers over oak wood prior to drying.
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