I have a recipe that calls for sweet paprika. All I have is regular paprika. Is there a difference?!
Answers: I searched the stores in my town (small Iowa town) and could not find anything labeled "sweet" paprika. Everything was just labeled "paprika". I have a recipe that calls for 3 tsps and I want to make sure that using what I have labeled only "paprika" will produce the same results.
Good question on paprika.
There really is a difference in the spice. All paprika is made from a certain kinds of red peppers. The stuff simply labeled paprika is very mild and maybe a little sweet. It's used most often as a garnish. Hungarian Paprika comes hot or sweet and is available at gourmet foods stores. The hot, as expected, is spicy. The sweet has more flavor than the regular jarred variety. Spanish paprika is made from a different type of pepper and has a paler color than the usual paprika. I've only seen this in specialty catalogs (often called pimenton). Finally, smoked paprika is available, too. The peppers are smoked before being ground, giving it a smokey flavor (sort of the difference between a jalapeno and a chipotle chili pepper).
Depending on what you are making, you could easily use the paprika from the store. I have used in a pinch, when not having sweet paprika on hand and added a tad of sugar to the spice. If using 3 tsps, I would recommend a nice pinch of superfine sugar, and blend well before adding to your dish.
Hope that helps.
That's probably sweet that you have. Take a little taste and make sure that it's not hot (you will know pretty quickly).
sweet paprika is just a milder,smokier version of regular paprika.if u need 3 teaspoons of sweet,just use 1-1.5 of the regular one.
Unless the jar is marked otherwise, it will be sweet paprika that you have so go ahead and use it with confidence.
You should be fine - if it was the hot hungarian kind it would have said so on the label.
I ran into the exact same situation a few months ago and have been looking for sweet paprika ever since. I live in a metro area and go to a variety of grocery stores and I have never seen paprika labeled "sweet". I used my regular paprika in my recipe and it turned out well.
Penzeys Spices has a huge selection of really great spices and seasonings and has fair pricing. The web address is www.penzeys.com.