Paprika

One jar of sweet paprika earns its place in nearly every savory dish you cook. It brings a warm, mild sweetness and a deep red color that wakes up roast chicken, deviled eggs, roasted potatoes, and a pot of goulash or chicken paprikash. Dust it over finished eggs, stir it into a stew, or work it into a rub for pork and ribs. The flavor is gentle, closer to a ripe red pepper than to heat, so it seasons broadly without taking over.

We stone-grind our paprika fresh in small batches in Portland, so the fruity oils that fade in a stale grocery jar stay bright and intact. Warm it in oil or butter for a few seconds before the rest of the dish goes in. That quick bloom pulls the color and aroma out of the powder and carries it through everything it touches.

This is plain sweet paprika, not the oak-smoked kind and not a Spanish pimentón. If a recipe wants smoke, our smoked paprika is the jar for that. This one is the everyday all-rounder.

Single ingredient: paprika. No salt, no sugar, no preservatives. Naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Is this sweet, hot, or smoked paprika?
This is sweet paprika, the mild all-purpose kind. It carries warm flavor and rich color with only a whisper of heat. Smoked paprika (oak-dried and boldly smoky) and hot paprika are different jars with different jobs, so reach for this one when a recipe simply says paprika.

Why does my paprika taste flat?
Raw paprika stirred in at the end tastes dull. Warm it in oil or butter over low heat for a few seconds first, until the fat turns red and smells sweet, then build the dish on top. Keep the heat gentle, since scorched paprika turns bitter fast.

What dishes is paprika best in?
It is the backbone of goulash and chicken paprikash, the color on deviled eggs and roasted potatoes, and a staple in the Spanish almond-and-pepper sauce (romesco). It also rounds out spice rubs for chicken, pork, and grilled vegetables.

How long does ground paprika keep its flavor?
Ground paprika fades faster than whole spices because its oils sit exposed to air. Store it sealed away from heat and light, and use it within a year for the brightest color and aroma. Freshly ground, small-batch paprika starts with far more of both.