Paprika

Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, Capsicum annuum. It is traditionally made from Capsicum annuum varietals in the Longum group, and while it can have varying levels of heat, the peppers used tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce chili powder. The milder, sweet paprika is mainly composed of the fruit of the pepper with most of the seeds removed; whereas some seeds and stalks are retained in the peppers used for hotter paprika. Paprika, like all capsicum varieties and their derivatives, is descended from wild ancestors from the Amazon River, cultivated in ancient times in South, Central and North America, particularly in central Mexico. The peppers were introduced to Europe via Spain and Portugal in the 16th century. The trade in paprika expanded from the Iberian Peninsula to Africa and Asia and ultimately reached central Europe through the Balkans. European cuisines in which paprika is a frequent and major ingredient include those of Hungary, Spain and Portugal; it is also found in many French and German dishes. It is widely used in North Africa and the Middle East.