Paprika is made from dried and ground peppers—specifically varieties of the Capsicum annuum pepper plant (the same general family as bell peppers and chili peppers).
The flavor and color depend on the type of pepper used:
- Sweet paprika: Made from mild, sweet red peppers; common in many European dishes.
- Hot paprika: Made from hotter pepper varieties and may include seeds or hotter parts of the pepper.
- Smoked paprika: Made by drying peppers over smoke (often oak) before grinding, giving it a smoky flavor.
Despite common confusion, paprika is not made from tomatoes, a special spice root, or a mixture of random spices—it is simply ground dried peppers. Its name comes from the Hungarian word “paprika,” which is also the word for pepper.
