“Regular” paprika, also called American, sweet, basic, or Domestic Paprika, is what’s found in most grocery stores. It is gentle and earthy with an unassertive flavor. Regular paprika is never smoked. It makes a terrific backdrop for more strongly-flavored ingredients, so it’s often used as a flavor base in dry rubs or blends. It is often favored for its ability to deliver a bold, red color. 

After the peppers are cleaned and sorted, they are crushed or ground using special machinery to produce the desired texture of chili flakes. The crushed chili flakes are then packaged into various sizes and containers, ready to be shipped to customers and distributors.

Paprika can be made from several different varietals of the chile pepper family Capsicum annuum, though the different peppers all tend to be of the relatively long, tapered kind with thinner flesh. Fat, thick-fleshed sweet peppers, like a standard Bell pepper that you’ll find in your average grocery store, often don’t dry well enough to make a ground product and are prone to mold. They are valued for their bright red color as much as--or even more than--their flavor. The American Spice Trade Association, or ASTA, came up with a scale to measure paprika's color. The ASTA score goes from 50-180; 85 is a standard-grade color value. As the numbers go up, the color of the paprika is more saturated and vibrant.

Hungry for more? From sea salt and peppercorns to Everything Seasoning that you’ll want to put on, well, everything, our collection of spices & seasonings has everything you need to create your next delicious meal.