What does paprika mean?
Paprika is a culinary term with two closely related meanings: a red or sweet pepper used in cooking and, most commonly, a vivid red spice made by grinding dried red peppers. Its flavour is generally mild, sweet, and faintly fruity, although smoked and hot varieties can be deeper, smoky, or pungent. The powder is valued in Hungarian, Spanish, and Central European cooking for adding colour as well as flavour, and it appears in seasoned blends, sauces, stews, and vegetable dishes. In English, the word often names the powdered spice, though speakers may also use paprika for the pepper itself, especially in European recipes. Paprika is not simply another label for generic bell peppers or chili powder: it denotes particular peppers or their powder, while chili powder is usually a mixture that may include cumin and other spices. The word entered English through German culinary usage from Hungarian and reflects a broader Central and Eastern European vocabulary for red pepper. Its dual reference to both vegetable and spice makes the intended form important in recipes.
nounPaprika is a red pepper or sweet pepper used in cooking, especially the vivid red spice made by grinding dried red peppers. Depending on variety, it may be mild and sweet, smoky, or moderately hot.
- A red-pepper spice made from dried and ground red peppers, available in mild, sweet, hot, and smoked varieties.
- A variety of red or sweet pepper used fresh or dried, particularly in Central and Eastern European cooking.
"The roasted vegetables were seasoned with smoked paprika and a little garlic."
"Add a teaspoon of sweet paprika to deepen the flavour of the stew."
"She roasted the paprika peppers before adding them to the salad."
The plural is grammatically correct but uncommon.
"The shop stocks paprikas from Spain and Hungary."
Paprika has a double life: it can name the pepper itself or the bright red powder that has become one of the world's most familiar spices.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does paprika come from?
The English word entered through German Paprika in the early nineteenth century, borrowing from Hungarian paprika. The Hungarian term is generally traced to Turkish paprika, in the context of Turkish kırmızı biber, meaning “red pepper.” In English, usage developed to include both the pepper and, especially, the dried and ground red-pepper powder now commonly called paprika.
How paprika is actually used
The culinary term is neutral in register. In American English it is commonly pronounced with stress on the second syllable, while British English more often gives the word initial stress. Paprika names specific peppers or their powder and should not automatically be treated as equivalent to generic bell pepper.
Easily confused with paprika
Paprika is generally made from a single kind of red pepper, while chili powder is a blend of ground chilies that may also contain cumin and other spices.