Paprika - smoked or not?

[Sandra Piddock]

I use a lot of paprika, and just lately, I've tended more towards smoked paprika. I find it just gives that extra dimension of taste, and a richer colour t the finished dish. So far this week, I've used it in vegetable soup and a pork, pepper and mushroom casserole.

What about you? Do you prefer regular paprika or smoked? And how do you use it?

 

[Arch]

One of my colleagues at work made some paprika popcorn with smoked paprika, it was delicious, and horribly, horribly more-ish!

I must get the recipe from her, but I think it was just freshly popped popcorn tossed in a mix of smoked paprika and a little sugar, and perhaps some oil or butter. I think it was the combination of the spice and the sweet that made it irresistible. I could have eaten a bucketful. Maybe there's a recipe online....

 

[Berties]

sweet smoked paprika is the one,add it to mayonnaise for chips, add it to a veg casserole,adds depth and flavour not a true substitute to paprika but it has had a use in my kitchen for many years

 

[colly]

Not keen on smoked paprika..........reminds me too much of smoky bacon crisps.

 

[Arch]

One of my colleagues at work made some paprika popcorn with smoked paprika, it was delicious, and horribly, horribly more-ish!

I must get the recipe from her, but I think it was just freshly popped popcorn tossed in a mix of smoked paprika and a little sugar, and perhaps some oil or butter. I think it was the combination of the spice and the sweet that made it irresistible. I could have eaten a bucketful. Maybe there's a recipe online....

I had a go at this flavouring the other day, on some roasted squash seeds. Very nice. COuld maybe have taken a little more smoked paprika, it was a touch sweet, but I just guessed at the proportions of paprika and sugar.

 

[OhioTom76]

I just started cooking with this about a year ago, and I was pretty shocked at how strong and pungent it was. Paprika was always one of those spices that didn't really impart much flavor unless you put a lot of it in something. It was usually more for color or decoration in most cases. But the smoked stuff is a whole different story. It immediately reminded me of a whole pig roasting over a BBQ or something like that. It has kind of a "meaty" quality to it in terms of its smell.

I like it, but I only use it in very small amounts. Which is not really a bad thing, since it's a bit pricier than most other spices in my neck of the woods.