# Sweet Paprika???



## silverwolf636 (Sep 12, 2009)

Not sure if this the right area but here goes.

What is Sweet Paprika??? Then where do I buy it???
I have a KC Rub recipe and it calls for quarter cup brown sugar and a quarter cup Paprika then other spices.


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## fire it up (Sep 12, 2009)

Sweet paprika isn't a whole lot different than most paprikas in the sense that the pepper it comes from is o bit sweeter.
You have regular, sweet and hot.
You can check the spice isle and if you find some Spanish or Greek (my favorite) paprikas they will usually carry a few different kinds.
If unable to find the particular one you are looking for you could always just use regular paprika and the recipe will turn out fine but if you have a chance to get some of the good stuff it is really a wonderful thing in taste, color and smell.


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## gnubee (Sep 12, 2009)

I buy my paprika from the bulk food store, they usually have 3 or 4 different varieties on hand including sweet and hungarian. I use one of those twist ties to put a smidge of it on my finger and give it a taste. I try each variety that they have on hand and pick the one that tastes best to me. believe me there is sometimes quite a difference in the taste and heat factor. 

Some have almost no taste, heat or flavour and are to be avoided as they will make your rub bland. 

Some are simply wonderful. Thats my main reason for shopping at the bulk food store. You can do the taste test.


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## alx (Sep 12, 2009)

I have grown about 10 varities of paprika over the years.What FIU is saying is very true for already ground storebought-paprika.


However,i grow my own.My mainstay is a buttery/sweet paprika-properly dried and ground for use.If you ever get around fresh picked and processed paprika it will stain your hands.Used in commercial dyes as well as cooking..Indians would use in their paints/blankets etc....

Here are some pics of this years crop.........









Look at the color of one dried.Not red,but almost....Took long time to know when to pick.Similiar to the tobasco company uses color sticks.Can be up to 3 color phases before ripe....





my K.C. rub on my ribs.Check out the color fresh grown/dehydrated/ground give ribs before they hit smoker







This paprika is NuMex Garnett-Spanish i do not grow hungarian since the varities i can get do not grow well here.Lots of BER  I am working on a variety thru some greek friends-they like green paprika-eaten fresh....I use other spices-my chipotles etc for heat-etc.....If the paprika has good storebought color you can make up for sweet,heat in your rub...The fresh buttery/sweet....good luck..........

Pendrys or penzys something like that carries it....


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## mballi3011 (Sep 12, 2009)

You just have to love this place I mean where else can you ask a question like that and then bang here you go. for some outhere like me paprika comes in one of those litle plastic jars.


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## silverwolf636 (Sep 12, 2009)

LOL. 
That was the same with me. When I take something on and I really enjoy it or it actually becomes an addiction, like smoking my foods,  I basically take it on like I did college right down to the composition of the meats and spices.  If I do see something I don't know I'm going to ask.  When it comes to smokin, this is the place to come.  My plans for next years garden consists of  alot of growing my own spices.  

I thank everyone for their info.  I did reference the "sweet paprika" and found out that the "spanish paprika" is sweet and the local store does handle that.  
Thanx again gang.


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## rivet (Sep 12, 2009)

Sweet paprika is not truly "sweet" in the sugary sense, just milder and not as "dense" flavoured as a hot paprika. Spanish sweet paprika does have a faint odour of sweetness to it, but it is not sweet to the taste.

Here's a link to a great place where I get mine at. You can get a 3-pack of tins of sweet, bittersweet and hot "pimenton" (smoked paprika) that's always fresh. They have individual tins too but the 3-pack is great if you cook a lot.

http://www.latienda.com

Hope this helps.....


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## asenary (Mar 2, 2011)

Good paprika.


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## SmokinAl (Mar 3, 2011)

Dang I didn't know there were so many paprika's. I just get mine in bulk at Sam's. Guess I'll have to look around a little more. Thanks.


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