"... paprika. I believe it is Hungarian. It is technically a red chile pepper but not a native of the New World." - me

wrong...


"Paprika (Chili Pepper) originated in the southern part of Mexico, Central America, and the islands of the Antilles. The European and Asian name of 'paprika' can be traced back to the Greek-Latin 'peperi'-'piper' expressions, meaning 'pepper'. The Hungarian word, 'paprika' is a diminutive version of the Slav(ic) expression, 'papar'.

We can talk about two distinct ways of the Paprika's dispersion in Europe. First, it was Christopher Columbus who is said to have brought with him a type of pepper, which was chillier than the Caucasian type. Paprika was a domesticated plant among the Native American people, thus the explorers named it 'Indian pepper'. Due to its outstanding adaptability, this tropical plant got acclimatized to the very different climate and conditions. From Spain it was introduced to Southern France and England, and it soon became Europe's favorite decorative houseplant. In Hungary it was also used for decoration, first. In 1570, it was mentioned in Margit Széchy's garden as 'red Turkish pepper', and in 1579, the French botanist, Clusius introduced it into the garden of Boldizsár Batthyányi as well.

Second, the use of paprika as a spice was spread by the Turks in the 18th century. They brought it to the Balkan Peninsula first, and later to Hungary. The first Hungarian records about its cultivation originate from the Kalocsa and Szeged region. The dry climate of the riverbanks of the Great Plains, the longer hours of sunshine, and the special soil resulted in the development of the characteristic Hungarian paprika, which surpasses the original pepper types with its fiery redness, its taste and special aroma.

Quite a bit of time passed before the local, Hungarian cookbooks mentioned the paprika. Its use spread among the everyday people first (herdsmen, fishermen, and the peasantry). They applied it both as a spice and as an herb. In the 17th century, paprika was already used as a medicine to cure the Epidemic Typhus (Morbus Hungaricus) decimating the population of the swampy regions of the Hungarian Great Plains. In his 1775 garden guide, "Új füves és virágos magyar kert" (New Hungarian Garden of Herbs and Flowers) József Csapó described paprika as a "very strong instrument /sic/, which really pumps up people's blood". Truly, paprika has a significant medicinal value. It is one of the richest sources of vitamin C – even in ground form – and as a spice, it increases the appetite, and it contributes to digestion. The crystalline capsaicin extracted from the paprika is used as a basis for medication for the treatment of arthritis as well as for creams and ointments to relieve minor aches and pains.

Paprika gained ground speedily, and it soon became one of the most distinctive spices of the Hungarian cuisine."