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Bell peppers are not called paprika; rather, they are the primary ingredient used to make paprika. The confusion may arise from the fact that both bell peppers and paprika are derived from the same species of plant, Capsicum annuum. However, the process of turning bell peppers into paprika involves drying and grinding the peppers into a fine powder, resulting in the popular spice known as paprika.


For long-time readers of our blog, yes, this sauce is THAT powerful. “The lady” is no longer my number one main homie. It’s this delightful concoction of garlic, chili, and soy.


Balancing Heat: When using crushed red pepper, start with a small amount and adjust according to your heat tolerance. For paprika, choose the type that best complements your dish's flavor profile.
Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from Capsicum annuum varietals in the Longum group, including chili peppers. Paprika can have varying levels of heat, but the chili peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce chili powder. In some languages, but not English, the word paprika also refers to the plant and the fruit from which the spice is made, as well as to peppers in the Grossum group (e.g., bell peppers).
If you want to add a nice spicy kick without all the overpowering heat, chili powder is a suitable sweet paprika substitute. Despite that, you can’t use chili powder in a 1:1 substitution because of its noticeable savory flavor that comes from a mix of other spices such as onion powder, cumin, garlic, and more. In general, it has an earthy, savory, and slightly spicy taste. But it will do if you’re in a bind or in the middle of garnishing your deviled eggs and curries.


Paprika is a spice blend made from a mixture of sweet ground peppers from the Capsicum annuum family such as bell pepper and hot chili peppers. There are three main types of paprika: smoked, sweet, and hot. Whichever type, this spice has a vibrant deep red color that features a smoky and fiery flavor with slightly sweet notes.