What is Paprika?

Welcome to spring!

I’ve been patiently waiting for rhubarb to arrive in the grocery stores so I can bake some new recipes to share with you. But alas, spring has been slow to arrive.

While I wait for spring to arrive, I’ve been busy in my community. And this week, I want to share a recipe I was remembered of while volunteering at the community lunch program. 

Usually, when I arrive for my shifts in the school gym, I feel like I’ve been dropped into the middle of an action movie and have to quickly figure out the plot and the characters to catch up with the audience. 

Every day is different. New recipes, and new volunteers, which include parents, students, and community neighbours. The rotating scenario creates overall mayhem. Typical of any elementary school program that is student-run, and feeds lunch to 200 kids twice a week.

When I arrived last Thursday, the kitchen was eerily calm and organized, and all the dishes were done. The meal was cooked and ready to go.

Chef Maria stood smiling in the middle of it with her black hair pulled off her round face, smiling broadly beneath her gold-rimmed glasses. A white apron pulled tight across her full frame.

Maria has a playful, warm personality and she cooks with a sanguine confidence. “What are you cooking today, Maria?” I asked. She beamed back the answer, “chicken, with my new favourite spice, paprika.”

Paprika, a spice I rarely use. When she mentioned it I was reminded of a simple beef taco recipe I occasionally cooked for my family.

I then quickly realized I knew little about paprika, other than it was a bright red in colour and had a mellow pepper flavour.

So, when I got home, I looked up paprika. I learned that Hungary and Spain are known for paprika. In fact, it's the national spice of Hungary. Hungarian paprika comes in eight different varieties ranging in colour and pungency. Spanish paprika is also referred to as pimento.

Smoked paprika is when the pods are smoked, which brings out their complex flavours.

If you haven’t tried smoked paprika, I suggest you give it a try because it’s quite lovely. Perhaps try it in the beef taco recipe, which I ended making for dinner that night.

Happy cooking!