How to use paprika in cooking
Have you heard about paprika, but you don’t know what it is? In this article you will learn about the health benefits of paprika and how to flavor your meals with this aromatic spice. Do not miss it!
What is paprika
The world of spices is very varied and covers different tastes, being the ideal complement for food and drink, as they enhance their natural flavor. Paprika, a condiment also known as ground chili or paprika chili, is a spice made from dried red peppers or bell peppers.
Paprika is a product derived from the Capsicum annuum family, made up of bell peppers, green peppers, hot peppers and other varieties.
For this reason, as the combination of peppers to make the paprika chili varies, its color is not always the same and its flavor can range from sweet to hot. Have you tried them? Well then, you know what paprika is.
Taste of paprika
Do you like the taste of paprika? It is excellent for enhancing the flavor of dishes with chicken, fish, rice, pasta, cottage cheese, cauliflower and potatoes.
In addition to its great culinary contribution, in recent times it has been revealed that the benefits of paprika for health are many. Do you want to know them? Take note.
Health benefits of paprika
Have you discovered the paprika benefits derived from the rich content of nutrients that it possesses? Well, in fact, among them a great presence of vitamins stands out. But…, what is paprika for?
Vision
Seasoning paprika is a rich source of carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin, which are of great benefit for maintaining healthy vision.
These especially act as protectors from the negative effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In addition, its high content of vitamin A improves night vision and stimulates the healthy development of eye cells.
Anti-aging
Paprika chili can provide your body with the necessary daily dose of vitamin E, since a tablespoon of paprika contains 2 milligrams of vitamin E.
This vitamin is a great natural antioxidant, capable of preventing cellular degenerative processes that cause different diseases. It will also help you in the formation of blood vessels and prevent the excessive presence of lipids, which causes the development of LDL cholesterol.
Anemia
By including paprika in your daily diet, you will also receive the benefit of getting the iron your body needs to improve cellular metabolism, thereby improving energy levels.
In addition, iron will stimulate the production of red blood cells, preventing anemia and will improve the function of hemoglobin and myoglobin, the proteins responsible for transporting oxygen to the tissues so that they perform their functions correctly.
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Uses of paprika in cooking
You love its flavor, but don’t you know what paprika is for in the cooking? Well, for paprika, uses in the kitchen are not going to be missing.
It is ideal to enhance the flavor of many dishes, for example, in Hungarian cuisine, it is a basic ingredient to prepare goulash, the national dish of this country.
Keep in mind that there are different varieties of paprika: sweet, hot, smoked, etc and each one will bring a different touch to your meals. I will tell you how to use paprika in meals:
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- Smoked Paprika: Indicated for the preparation of homemade sausages such as loins, Chorizo and chistorra. You can also use it to make canned loin, aromatize cheeses, pickled mussels or chicken.
- Sweet Paprika: It will give an exotic touch to any sweet and sour sauce intended to accompany white meat dishes or to intensify the flavor of stir-fries, stews, rice dishes and soups.
- Spicy Paprika: It is ideal to accompany chicken breasts, fish, lean red meat, sweet potatoes, roasted or steamed carrots, roasted chickpeas, etc.