Paprika
Capsicum annuum · Spice
Top 10 pairings
Dried ripe red peppers ground to a vivid, fruity powder, from barely warm "sweet" to gently fiery. It brings colour more than heat, turning goulash scarlet. Spain's oak-smoked pimentón adds campfire smoke.
Picking a good onedrag
Just milled, deep red and fruityFaded brick, smells of nothing
Good tinEveryday bestUse it in goulash, paprikash and rubs. Stir it into warm, not smoking, fat or it turns bitter.
Smell itFruit quieter, mostly dry earth
Colour in the jarRed, duller or more orange
Pinch and rubSoft lumps that crush to dust
Grade and originNamed brand, tin or opaque jar