
Paprika, a Hungarian term for pepper, is a ground spice made from dried red peppers. Depending on the preparation method, it varies in flavor from sweet to spicy and even smoked. Hungarian and Spanish paprika differ significantly: Hungarian varieties are often sun-dried, while Spanish versions are typically smoked over oak logs.

Paprika is Hungary’s national spice; you’ll find it on tables right next to the salt and pepper, and you can’t make time-honored Hungarian food, like goulash, without a heaping helping of paprika. Paprika peppers are grown all over the country though Kalocsa and Szeged, cities located in southern Hungary, are two of the most important regions for paprika production.