Sweet Hungarian Paprika defining gentle warmth
Sweet Hungarian Paprika defines gentle warmth and vivid crimson colour within La Botanique Sacrée’s savoury palette.
Made from the Edesnemes cultivar, it offers bright scarlet hue, soft orchard‑fruit aroma and low‑burn capsaicin opposite the fiery edge sought in hotter chilies.
Our Sweet Hungarian Paprika is grown in Spain’s Extremadura under strict organic protocols, sun‑ripened, stone‑ground and sieved to a silk‑fine powder that dissolves instantly in fat or stock.
This exacting craft preserves natural sugars and carotenoids, yielding the powder’s hallmark sweet smokeless profile.
Culinary classics rely on it for body and colour; our modern apothecary uses it to paint layers of antioxidants and mild sweetness across functional blends.
Science and Composition
Chemical Composition
Sweet Hungarian Paprika powder contains 18–22 percent moisture‑free carotenoids , led by capsanthin and capsorubin, that bestow the deep red colour.
Capsaicin levels average 200–400 Scoville heat units classifying the spice as sweet rather than hot. Natural sugars approach eight percent, balancing a mild acidic backbone of malic and citric acids.
Mineral contributions include potassium (240 mg per 10 g), magnesium (20 mg) and iron (1.4 mg). Vitamins A and E appear in significant quantity: one gram delivers nearly fifteen percent of the recommended intake of provitamin A through beta‑carotene.
Heat‑sensitive polyphenols such as quercetin survive the low‑temperature stone grind, adding antioxidant potential verified by an ORAC value around 2 000 µmol TE 100 g⁻¹.
Origin & Nutritional Composition
Although labelled Hungarian in style, our Sweet Hungarian Paprika originates from Spanish farming cooperatives cultivating the Hungarian Edesnemes cultivar first introduced to Iberia in the early twentieth century.
Grown on limestone‑rich loam, peppers mature to deep maroon, are hand‑harvested in late September, dried on airy racks below 50 °C for five days, then de‑stemmed and lightly toasted to activate aroma precursors.
Stone mills operating at under forty rpm produce a median particle size of 180 µm, ensuring rapid dispersion in oil yet avoiding chalk.
Reported Health Benefits
Capsanthin and beta‑carotene function as antioxidants that may quell reactive oxygen species. Epidemiological data link carotenoid‑rich diets to eye‑health and skin photoprotection.
Sweet Hungarian Paprika’s capsaicin content is low, avoiding mucosal irritation but still mildly stimulating gastric juice for improved digestion.
Soluble fibre associates with balanced glycaemic response, and polyphenols contribute to endothelial flexibility in vitro.
These remarks remain informative, not prescriptive.
Heritage and Function
Cultural Significance & Historical Significance
Christopher Columbus carried Capsicum seeds back to Spain in 1493, yet true Hungarian paprika identity formed centuries later when Ottoman influence melded with Carpathian terroir.
The Edesnemes cultivar emerged in Szeged in the late 1800s through selective breeding for sweetness and bright colour.
Spanish horticulturists adopted Edesnemes around 1920, seeking reliable yields under Mediterranean sun while preserving the sweetness that defined Hungarian paprika’s culinary fame.
In Hungarian kitchens, Sweet Hungarian Paprika powders goulash, fisherman’s soup and chicken paprikash, where its sweet pepper bouquet forms the sauce’s red backbone.
In Spain it appears as pimentón dulce de la Vera, blended with smoked varieties for chorizo paste. Paprika festivals from Szeged to Murcia honour harvest with folk music and bright scarlet carpets of drying fruit testament to paprika’s cultural gravity.
Flavor Profile
On the nose, Sweet Hungarian Paprika evokes sun‑dried tomato, red apple skin and mild hay. The taste opens sweet and earthy, free of smoke, delivering velvet fruit warmth that lingers before a whisper of green herb.
Absence of significant capsaicin permits generous use without overpowering other botanicals.
Fun Tidbits
- The ASTA colour value of our Sweet Hungarian Paprika exceeds 160, placing it among the brightest naturally dried paprikas.
- Natural sugars caramelise at 120 °C, so paprika should toast only briefly to avoid bitterness.
- One kilogram of finished powder requires about ten kilograms fresh peppers.
La Botanique Sacrée's Approach
Sweet Hungarian Paprika provides saturated crimson pigment, gentle pepper sweetness and antioxidant payload without the smoky compounds of pimentón or the sting of cayenne. This neutrality lets formulators layer complex aromatics while safeguarding colour stability. It aligns with our modern apothecary ethos scientific integrity married to sensory poise.
We source “Hungarian Paprika Powder (edelsüss) ASTA 80/90, origin Spain.” The powder is 100 percent peppers no anti‑caking silica, no colour re‑injection.
Partner growers dry using solar tunnels to reduce carbon footprint, and each lot passes aflatoxin and pesticide analysis per EU Regulation 396/2005. Packed in nitrogen‑flushed kraft drums, the spice retains maximum carotenoid potency for twelve months at under twenty degrees Celsius.
Products featuring Sweet Hungarian Paprika
CAMP CHILI – smoky tangy high‑heat blend where Scotch Bonnet and Sweet Hungarian Paprika deliver rounded fire and vivid red.
POULETIUM – chicken rub pairing Sweet Hungarian Paprika with tomato powder and chipotle smoke.
VIKING FRIES – golden fry salt whose base colour is lifted by a touch of Sweet Hungarian Paprika.
TACO No1 - Taco blend built on chipotle smoke, guajillo fruit, and sweet Hungarian paprika.
KAIJU-N - Cajun archetype with Japanese superfoods; sweet and smoked paprika form the crimson core.
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OEUF 09 - Green omelet composition where moringa and herbs meet sweet Hungarian paprika and citrus lift.
