My in-laws brought us back a couple of packages of paprika after their trip to Budapest last year. It was pretty good stuff, and moderately hot. We use a lot of regular chili powder in our cooking (Indian lal mirch), so I am used to the heat, but with paprika I appreciate other subtle flavors.
All was fine until a few months ago, when my wife and I began to notice that the paprika seemed to be getting spicier. Not just hotter, but really tangy. For years I have been putting a tablespoon of paprika in my tomato sauce (family recipe and southern Italian standard I believe), but now even a teaspoon makes the sauce unbearingly spicy.
I know that spices should ideally be used within 6 months, but thought it was because they lose their flavor (and a quick Google search on paprika said exactly this). But is it possible that going bad could be evidenced by the flavor becoming more intense? I asked a Hungarian colleague, but she had never experienced this…
I guess regardless of the reason I will have to throw the stuff away, but the foodie and scientist in me are intrigued…
Hmm…I’ve never noticed this, but paprika goes quickly in my house. When I stock up trips to Budapest, I throw it in the freezer to preserve it, anyway. The only times I remember coming across old hot paprika was at my parents’ house, but I never noticed it getting spicy or tangy. Just bland and “powdery” for lack of better description. You know how good paprika has that distinct, red pepper smell? Well, that was gone after the hot paprika sticking around in the cupboard for over a year.
If you’re not going to go through your paprika quickly, I would store it in a freezer. Ideally, I would take out as much as I plan to use in 3 months, and vacuum seal and freeze the rest. But I tend to be a bit anal about paprika, as I like to cook Hungarian food a lot and the quality of paprika is extremely important, as Hungarian food tends to rely only on a small handful of spices. (Despite being a “chile-head”, I strongly prefer Hungarian sweet paprikas. They are the most beautiful red and fragrant paprikas I’ve ever had.)
The other reason I like storing paprika in the freezer is that it is easily infested (at least in my experience) with meal-moths or other weevil-type creatures.
Much to my surprise that has happened to me. I would have thought nothing could live in that stuff.
I once thought some Hungarian Paprika was getting spicier on me. I think probably it wasn’t, but my rationalization at the time was that I had just uncovered a less oxidized part of it deep in the can. I think more likely I just used more of it in something.
Nope. Those bugs (I think they’re meal-moths) are notorious for living in paprika. They love the stuff. I think it has to do with the (relatively) high sugar content of peppers. Same with my hot ground chile peppers.
I’ve found some others who have experienced what they perceive to be dried peppers getting hotter with age, but I can’t find any real verification or explanation for it. Like I said, I personally have not noticed this to be the case, but you’re apparently not alone in your observation.
That seems somewhat plausible, but whence the tang? The only explanation I could see for tanginess in paprika is if it was fermenting, or something. I’ve never had paprika go tangy on me, and I would think you’d need more moisture for that to happen.
First, I doubt labeling laws would allow Spanish paprika to be sold as Hungarian. I’m too lazy to look that up right now.
Second, Spanish paprika is not inferior. Along with Hungarian paprika, it is considered by chefs to be the best paprika in the world. California paprika is up there, too.
Third, Spanish paprika comes in sweet, hot, and/smoked, with the smoked varieties being the most famous in the US.
Fourth, Hungarian paprika comes in about seven or so different types in Budapest, but in the US is usually sold in two varieties: hot and sweet.
In other words, pretty much every single part of your post was factually incorrect.
You must be talking about something like this, which is labeled as “Hungarian style paprika.”
This brand, Pride of Szeged, which is ubiquitous in my town, is labeled “Hungarian Paprika,” and, so far as I can find, is indeed from Hungary. Like here. It’s the basic paprika I use when I run out of my Budapest stash. Penzey’s and Spice House also have excellent imported Hungarian paprika. Incidentally, their most expensive paprika is smoked Spanish paprika.
