Paprika

Paprika is a sweet-to-mildly hot cultivar of the chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum, of the family Solanaceae). Paprika peppers are a bright red elongated or round fruit.

Paprika plants tolerate nearly every climate and are grown all over the world. A fairly warm climate is necessary for a strong aroma.

Hungary is probably the world's leading producer of paprika; in the United States, California and Texas are the main producers.

Paprika is often eaten as a ground powder but sometimes as a fresh vegetable. It is commonly used in Hungarian, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian cuisines. The round type can be stuffed with cottage cheese or salad to make a portable lunch. Small slices of pickled paprika are traditionally stuffed into green olives in the U.S.

Some specialty varieties of paprika are hot but the generally available ground preparation is quite mild.