COMMON RED PEPPER VARIETIES

As with any supplement, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider before adding curcumin to your regimen, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking medications. With its potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties, curcumin extract is a valuable tool in maintaining overall health and well-being.

Remember that not all regular chili powders are the same. Most are made with a blend of different peppers, but some contain other spices like onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano.

To recreate the spice of hot paprika, the best substitute is another dried chilli, like ground cayenne, aleppo pepper powder, crushed red pepper flakes, red chilli powder, or even a dash of hot sauce. If your recipe calls for smokiness and sweetness, try chipotle chilli powder or ancho pepper powder. Chipotle powder has a smoky taste, but is hotter than paprika with a more earthy flavour, lending itself to barbecue sauces, rubs and chillis. Due to the difference in heat, use a ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder for every teaspoon of paprika and adjust depending on your taste buds.

If you’re looking to replicate the flavour of sweet paprika add a pinch of sugar or some honey. Adding mild chilli powder or tomato powder works too. Bell peppers are another great substitute for sweet paprika and they come from the same Capsicum annuum family. Mild, sweet and aromatic, bell peppers give the same delicious taste and aroma, while adding a splash of colour too. When buying your bell peppers, make sure they’re nice and ripe.

One of the best substitutes for paprika is cayenne pepper. It’s a spicy chilli pepper, used to flavour many different cuisines and quite similar in colour. It’s a lot stronger and hotter than paprika, so if you’re using it as a substitute in your cooking, make sure you use a lesser quantity. If you have a lower tolerance to spicy food, you can add salt, cream, chopped tomatoes or more liquid (water or broth) to try and dial down the heat.

Like paprika, chilli powder packs a lot of flavour and is another worthy substitute. It’s also not as spicy as cayenne pepper, so you can use the same quantities.  The same goes for cajun spices. A combination of black and white pepper, plus other herbs and spices, it can work as a good substitute for smoked or sweet paprika, offering a similar flavour. But you won’t get the same beautiful red colour – more of an orange, warm hue.

You can also use cumin instead of paprika. But it’s a lot hotter, so go easy on the quantities. Like cajun spices, you won’t achieve the gorgeous red colour of paprika, as cumin has more of a yellowy-brown colouring, but you’ll still get an earthy flavour with hints of bitterness and sweetness.

To use Aleppo chili powder in your recipe, add the same amount or half the amount of what's listed in your recipe for hot paprika.

WHAT TYPE OF CHILI PEPPER TO USE

In addition to traditional chili powders, there are also spice blends that combine chili powder with other spices and seasonings, such as curry powder or garam masala. These blends add a unique twist to dishes, combining the heat of the chili powder with the flavorful complexity of the other spices.

Thanks to its versatility, it can be used as a condiment, seasoning, or marinade for all sorts of dishes. So go ahead and give it a try in your next recipe!