Hungarian Spiciness
A guide to the varieties and ode to one of it's biggest fans
Sara,
Thank you for reminding me about the ever important crunch! You were always the texture queen, adding the perfect toasted nut or crunchy breadcrumb to finish of dishes in our cooking adventure. And readers, sorry for the longer delay. We will be returning to the regularly scheduled programming.
I’m just getting back from a few weeks at home in Hungary. I had a lovely time there with Clare doing some fun touristy thing (shoutout to her amazing pictures here, Budapest never looked better). After she left, I went to the countryside to be with my grandpa. He had been sick and passed away during my trip. It was difficult but I’m forever grateful for that time with him and with my family as we said goodbye.
My grandpa, Imre, was one of the coolest, most curious people there ever was. He had strong preferences, like only eating with one very specific spoon. He also loved the things he loved with so much intensity, with some of those things being: his grandkids and great grandkids, playing chess, gummy candies, ice cream, a good red wine (he grew grapes and made his own), and making his food spicy. I inherited a lot of my own intensity, curiosity, and love of spice from him.
To understand his commitment to spicy food, I have to explain it’s place in Hungarian cuisine. When served a meal, you’ll often be asked, “Kérsz erőset?” which basically translates to, “Would you like some spice?” Not all Hungarian food is inherently spicy, but nearly all of it can be made spicy. Whether you’re eating at a restaurant, a local pub, or your family table, if the answer is “yes” you’ll be given a bowl of paprika powder or peppery paste to put on whatever you’re eating. And the source of that optional but highly recommended spice is the beloved Paprika.
While paprika in English usually translates to just the powdered spice, in Hungarian it means far too many things. Firstly, of course, paprika is the Vegetable - the glorious pepper. And we eat a lot of them! The most common type you’ll find is the wax pepper, a not too sweet, crispy, light yellow one that I can never find outside of Hungary. Also a variety of red and green peppers in different shapes and sizes that can very, very hot. The least common is the way too sweet (sorry!) bell pepper which funnily enough is called a Kaliforniai paprika (California Pepper) in Hungary.
Next of course is the Spice. The basis for so many Hungarian recipes, our holy trinity, is garlic, onion, and a good quality paprika powder. Here is a quick guide to the eight main paprika varieties, that differ in level of heat, pungency, sweetness, and color. A notable omission here is füstölt (smoked) which is my favorite, most closely resembles a Spanish paprika powder. The most commonly exported as “Hungarian Paprika” is the Édesnemes (Noble Sweet) variety, which is known for it’s bright red hue and mild flavor. It’s uncommon to see the other types abroad, at most one sweet (édes) and one hot (erős) option. But go for the good stuff and buy a tin of Hungarian-made Pride of Szeged. It’s usually comparable price wise but can be a bit harder to find in stores.
And lastly paprika can also mean a paprika based Sauce. These sauces are so versatile and can be added in a recipe while cooking or good enough to just smear as is on top of anything needing a kick. Here are the key players:
Erős Pista & Édes Anna - “Spicy Pista” and “Sweet Anna” - are the Hungarian answers to chili oil. They are both a super simple combination of minced paprika with a ton of salt, one made of sweet paprika and other of the spicy. I like to think that Pista and Anna are a married couple who butt heads a lot because of their opposing personalities.
Piros Arany - “Red Gold” - is a paprika paste made from the milder Csemege paprika and tomatoes. It packs a little heat, a little sweetness, and the umami of a tomato paste. This stuff really is gold and I love adding little red polka dots of it to an open faced sandwich. Comes in one sweet and one hot option as well.
Gulyáskrém - “Goulash Cream” - despite it’s name, is not meant as a base to a real homemade goulash, but rather a condiment that has all the flavor of goulash in a tube. Similar to Piros Arany but also contains onions and spices, along with the paprika and tomato. Also has one mild and one hot option.
Sara, you are my fellow lover of spice and forever paprika appreciator. One of these days, when we finally are in Hungary together, I’ll make sure we taste every single one of these paprikas until we’re crying tears of joy (and spice)! 🌶️
A running letter between long distance friends who love to eat
Do you miss your best friend? Are really hungry you right now? If the answer to either of these is yes, you know what to do.