What is the meaning of Paprika? Concept and Definition of Paprika

Definition, concept, meaning, what is the paprika

1. Concept of paprika

Pepper or Chili's color is a condiment powder of red colour and characteristic flavour obtained from drying and grinding of certain varieties of red peppers. It is a fundamental ingredient of typical Spanish dishes, such as the Rioja-style potatoes, chorizo, patatas bravas, or Galician Octopus. Also used it other cuisines as the Hungarian abundantly. Now India and China are the first exporters of this product at the level u28.1 thanks to genetic breeding has been Orange, yellow and white varieties.

Origins of paprika

In Spain as pepper to all the spices. Thus, to distinguish what today is called chile (Capsicum) black pepper (Piper nigrum), called the first Chile pepper. Later, Linnaeus assigned these plants the generic name of Capsicum, spanning multiple kinds of chile have been discovered, both as vegetables and spices as used to season dishes.
Gradually the Europeans were discovering that chiles gave in multiple shapes, sizes and colors: round, tapered, elongated, twisted, in the form of Buttonwood (chile piquin), of carrot, pear, green, Orange, red, yellow, almost white, some so fierce (generally, the smaller are the spiciest) that eat them was tantamount to swallowing molten lead, others larger and sweeter.
Also it was discovered that chilli hybridize easily, which has multiplied and developed worldwide new ways and degrees of spiciness, exported to other continents, and acclimatize them, Mexican chilli seeds. Its spread in Asia and Africa took place in such a short time, for many years, Europeans believed that chili peppers were originating from the East.
The sweetest species - peppers - began to grow, especially in Spain. 17TH-century botanical treaties already mentioned them: "are cultivated with great diligence in Castile, not only gardeners, but women, in pots placed on the balconies, for use throughout the year, either fresh or dried, in sauces or instead of pepper".
To the East also came the seeds of the Mexican chili, where is preferred and roared spicy species. Indonesian diplomats arriving in Mexico outnumber the local inhabitants in the tolerance of the wildest chilies, which bite and chew with admirable stoicism because they are already part of its culinary tradition. With its spread through Europe, it became extremely popular in Hungary. But it must not be very well known in other places. For example, the great chef Auguste Escoffier, one of the "fathers" of modern cuisine, chef at a famous restaurant in Monte Carlo, then writer, says already in the first half of the 20th century - was a new Hungarian spice paprika from Szeged. And it is that Spanish paprika has been backsliding since the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera authorized the addition of oil to the paprika (forbidden until then) so the peppers of poorer quality improved their appearance and climbed weight in 1929.
This practice - which in essence was to authorize its tamper - meant the destruction of the Spanish export of paprika and especially of paprika from la Vera, who could not compete in price with the Murcia (main beneficiary of the measure) because their drying system with smoke, plus transport is increased by up to the ports. But that was not the main cause of the decline of paprika (from la Vera and murciano) as oil-rubbed paprika enranciaba during the long, humid boat trips, so he arrived in poor condition at major overseas markets. So in a few years it ended with a trade that exported almost twenty thousand tons of paprika clients best nine in 1901. This - according to the direction General of customs-were: Argentina (4.067 Tm), Portugal (3,952 Tm), Algeria (3,740 Tm) Cuba (2,830 Tm) Germany (1,207 Tm), Italy (1.045 Tm), Uruguay (987), Great Britain (754), Chile (690 Tm). The problem was severe for Murcia, but in la Vera, whose paprika had been the local engine since the mid-19th century, was a real catastrophe.

Applications

One of the main uses in Spanish cooking is the preparation of preserves, mainly cold meats; such as the sobrasadas, the small sausages, sausages (some of them coming from the folk slaughter of the pig), the pork loin or the blood sausage; and typically you pickled mussels but also chicken, sardines, mackerel, etc. Also be used also in the everyday kitchen as seasoning or decoration of some dishes, such as pulpo á feira, the kebabs, potato meneadas, etc. one of the first applications is as simple food coloring, can thus dressing a few olives to Madrid, or chickpeas of cocido madrileño, etc. in some cases provides a smoky aroma. It is used in the preparation of sauces as Mojo Picón sauce, mixed with oil in the Galician mussels. The preparation of pickles, the flavour of soup (garlic soup). Used in rice dishes, add to crumbs.
In the cuisine of North Africa used for example to decorate the puree of chickpeas and eggplant. In the Hungarian cuisine is well known employment abundant in several dishes, including the famous goulash. The insert is used in dishes with rice in Portuguese cuisine.

2. Definition of paprika

The history of paprika dates back to Christopher Columbus, who offered to the Reyes Católicos, in 1493, this plant and its exotic fruit brought from the new world. Its expansion was very fast. Its cultivation in Germany was already mentioned in 1542.
The cultivation of peppers for paprika is introduced in La Vera in the 16th century by the monks of the monastery of Yuste Jerónimos. Tradition and wisdom shook hands to cradle, since the infinite calm of the monastery, the most precious treasure Jeronimos could give to the senses. Jealously kept secret after the stones of the cloister, slowly began to seep his preparation, until it came to be developed spontaneously by families with great agricultural tradition.
Since then, extends throughout the Valley, reaching fame and prestige and becoming one of the main riches of the region. The interrogation of the Real audience of Extremadura, in 1753, cites the pepper between major productions.
The pepper is the name of a genus native to southern tropical America containing a dozen species, including the common red pepper, which have given rise to numerous varieties of culinary interest.
The pepper plant is herbaceous annual green and erect stem, with lanceadas, whole, green and glossy leaves; flowers, small size, have five-lobed white Corolla. The fruits, which are also, non-juicy, fleshy and hollow, berries hanging from the plant by a peduncle. Inside are seeds, rounded, small and crushed. They are generally conical or elongated and can have different shapes, sizes and colors (red, green, yellow...) according to the breeds and varieties. The fruits are tasty and its taste can be sweet or spicy, depending on the varieties, called pepper, chilli, chile, or chili.
Spicy feature must be to some compounds called capsaicinoids (among them the capsaicin), which although small, is very variable (not usually exceed 1% with exceptions such as chile).

Scientific classification

The pimentos are species and varieties of the genus Capsicum of the family Solanaceae.
The common red pepper is Capsicum annuum. Is the red variety of elongated and curved fruit Capsicum annuum longum; Red or green pepper corresponds to the variety of Capsicum annuum grossum and chile which produces Tabasco sauce is Capsicum frutescens.
Paprika is obtained from the variety of Capsicum Annuum.

Main uses

Not spicy or sweet peppers are presented in numerous varieties, consuming cooked to various sauces and pickled. Cayenne pepper, which is obtained by grinding dry chillies plant of chile, which grows in Central America and South. The basis of the Tabasco sauce is a very spicy red chilli. Finally the paprika is made with ground sweet peppers dried meat.

3. Meaning of paprika

Paprika is a dressing powder that occurs when dried and ground red pepper (also known as red peppers or red peppers). Although there are different kinds of paprika, it is usually a fairly spicy condiment.
For example: "I will add a little paprika to the stew to make it more flavorful", "this place meat pies I don't like because they have too much paprika", "If you like spicy food, your House can not miss a vial of paprika".
According to the variety of peppers used, it is possible to distinguish between the Cayenne Pepper (which causes a greater pungency), paprika (more mild seasoning of this type), sweet and sour paprika and others. In certain preparations, paprika is added preservatives that will keep its qualities over time.
There are many recipes that use paprika, in the cuisine of different countries. The sausages like chorizo or ham usually have this seasoning. Also various stews, soups and Marinades include paprika to highlight their flavours and get a more intense color.
In Hungary, called paprika paprika that is made from peppers that are cultivated on its territory. In fact, the most famous Hungarian cuisine dish takes a good amount of paprika: goulash.
In Spain, on the other hand, there are different types of red pepper with designation of origin. La Vera paprika is produced in the province of Cáceres and is characterized by smoking. Paprika from Murcia, in contrast, is much sweeter.