Paprika crisis

[Brynn]

Well, I'm sure the SAn stuff is banned for good here. I don't know what's with the labelling, but I'm sure the producers will pay a lot for using that sign on a mixed product (afaik only pure Hungarian stuff is allowed to use that sign).

[frogus23]

[QUOTE=Silur]Paprika is usually called peppers or something in the US, I think. So most of you have eaten it. I always used to get disappointed every time it said peppers and it was the non-spicy kind. Peppers kind of implies spicy in my mind.

It is always sad when some cultural heritage or special foods gets destroyed or watered down by company greed or ignorance. I hope the paprika-scandal of Hungary doesn't make people too depressed and aggravated. From my very short experience of Hungary, I found it very pleasant with very nice people and beautiful scenery. Im quite certain Im am much more grumpy and unpleasant person because of all the good fruitbased thingies (my cooking skills are ...um... lacking, yes, somewhat lacking! Thats it.) that have been "improved" by artificial sweeteners and the fact that jam generally is more something else than fruit.[/QUOTE]
Paprika is a type of pepper, but not all peppers are parika by any means, and it isn't a very prominent part of many peoples diet in the UK, I would suspect much much less so in the USA where mid-Asian cooking doesn't get much of a show.

Am I mistaken that parika is the pound for pound most expensive food in the world?? Is that saffron?

[Brynn]

It is not pepper! It's a vegetable, and becomes like pepper when dried and ground. I think they call it red pepper b/c it's spicy, but I don't think they're related in other way (biologically, I mean). I can be wrong, though.

I haven't heard that paprika would be the most expensive stuff. At least not the Hungarian one - definitely not after this little affair, that's sure

[fable]

Paprika is very popular in its vegetable, non-powdered form in the US. I haven't visited a grocery that didn't sell red and green peppers, and usually yellow. The yellow and red kind are called for in a lot of salads, while the green is used in Italian, Asian and Balkan/East European dishes (my grandmother used to make stuffed green peppers), and in MidEastern food. As Brynn says, the yellow lacks the flavor of the Hungarian variety, which is almost white in color by comparison.

[frogus23]

So are all peppers paprika?
Are all parika peppers?

[Brynn]

No, no. The spice paprika (which looks like the normal paprika except that it is dark red and a bit smaller, and its end is pointed) is usually powdered and used just like peppers, that's why it's called red pepper. But pepper originally is a tiny ball, a seed.

[frogus23]

ARRRGHG!!! Oh this is so confusing....no I'm not talking about pepper corns - I mean peppers the fruit! Which may or may not be called peppers in any other known language

[Georgi]

[QUOTE=frogus23]Am I mistaken that parika is the pound for pound most expensive food in the world?? Is that saffron?[/QUOTE]

I think that's saffron.

They call peppers capsicum in Australia. It is quite confusing, isn't it?

And it is a fruit, not a vegetable, isn't it?

[fable]

Saffron's not that expensive, though it was centuries ago. I doubt there's an expensive spice at this time. Simply put, where the demand exists, the supply increases to meet it, and price drops accordingly.

The reason saffron used to be expensive was that it was produced in sufficient quantities only for a regional market. Since it became fancied internationally and the chain of distribution was horribly slow, there was no way to meet demand. Prices were astronomical, as they were for other spices used in "exotic" (to Europeans) locales for some time.

[C Elegans]

[QUOTE=frogus23]ARRRGHG!!! Oh this is so confusing....no I'm not talking about pepper corns - I mean peppers the fruit! Which may or may not be called peppers in any other known language [/QUOTE]

Pepper corns are one thing, they belong to the family Pipera.

Paprika, "pepper fruits" and chili fruits belong to the same family, Capsicum and like Georgi says, it is a fruit although we often call paprika a vegatable. However, we common people who are not biologists often classify food according to how we traditionally eat them rather than their correct biologic taxonomy.

EDIT: And yes, although not as expensive as in the old days, saffron is still the world's most expensive spice as far as I know, followed by vanilla.

[fable]

However, we common people who are not biologists

What are you, undercover? Last time I checked, you were a neurobiologist. Silur even gave me your first research paper in Budapest, so don't deny it!

And yes, although not as expensive as in the old days, saffron is still the world's most expensive spice as far as I know, followed by vanilla.

Depends on where you shop. We find bags of saffron extremely cheaply at local Indian/Pakistani markets in the Southwest Jersey/Philly area. I suspect prices are low because there are so many people from that subcontinent living in the region, so there's enough reason to carry the same. Other spices are far more expensive, here--chervil leaf, cardamom pods, juniper berries, etc.

[C Elegans]

I'm not a neurobiologist proper, I'm classified as neuroscientist, which is broader, although I am also an undercover shrink, an undercover neurobiologist and *sigh* soon an undercover neurogeneticist

Bah, Silur don't keep track of my work That was not my first research paper, only the first I was first author at! *insulted*


I think saffron in most expensive on the average, although local prices can vary widely.

[fable]

Radio Budapest, which does a 30 minute Internet/shortwave taped broadcast once a day, announced on the news that a list had been made available of the paprika brands that were "safe," and that the vegetable would once again be placed on sale. What's interesting is that there were apparently no recalls--and if there were, they weren't announced to the rest of the world. Personally, I'm shocked that paprika would be marketed as Hungarian despite the presence of non-Hungarian grown contents in the final product.

The news said that a particular bureau charged with inspection would be moved from the governmental agriculture department to the health department, to keep it "out of the influence of the industry."

We just made some Paprika Chicken tonight, too. It was quite tasty, though we used both the red and green kinds.

[Brynn]

[QUOTE=fable]Personally, I'm shocked that paprika would be marketed as Hungarian despite the presence of non-Hungarian grown contents in the final product.[/QUOTE]

It is such a shame Especially that this is one of our #1 products. Next time they'll announce that Tokaji is made with artificial grape flavour

[fable]

[QUOTE=Brynn]It is such a shame Especially that this is one of our #1 products. Next time they'll announce that Tokaji is made with artificial grape flavour [/QUOTE]

Well, there was that crisis a number of years ago where adulterated Bulls' Blood was being sold, by I understand that was pretty much gotten under control.

[fable]

Brynn, do you have any paprika recipes you care to share with us? Perhaps some involving chicken?

My wife and I worked up some paprika chicken the other day, but I'm afraid it wasn't entirely authentic. We added red peppers, of course, but also green. There's no stopping our blasphemy, now. When we make it again, we're going to throw in mushrooms, too.

[Brynn]

Oh, sure I need to get home to look it up in my cookbook, but I'll post it asap

[fable]

Sounds good. Most people here probably don't know that Hungary once enjoyed a reputation as possessing some of the world's greatest cooks. Much of that went by the boards after the Sovet takeover, but now it's plain that matters are on the mend.

Too bad you haven't discovered the pleasures of Dr. Pepper yet, though. Real shame, that.

[Brynn]

I cheated a bit, instead of translating my own recipe I looked it up on the internet

------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 (4 ounce ea) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil -- divided
1 large onion -- chopped
3 teaspoons paprika
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour -- for dredging
1 cup sour cream

Put flour, salt, and pepper in plastic bag. Dredge chicken. Shake off excess.

In 1 tablespoon olive oil, brown chicken well. Remove from pan. Add 1 tablespoon more oil and brown onions, peppers, tomatoes, and paprika. Add chicken and continue cooking until chicken is very tender.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see, it's very easy.

Originally it said three halves of different coloured peppers (sliced), but I don't think that's neccessary. Maybe the red one adds a little taste, but since paprika is in there, you can skip that one, too (pepper doesn't look attractive to me when cooked )
Instead of chicken breasts, you can use the legs, too (in one piece, of course).
It needs at least half an hour cooking.