Another great thing about paprika is that it comes with a lot of variety. There are several different types of paprika that you can use to bring out different types of flavors in your food. For example, you have sweet paprika, Hungarian paprika, smoked paprika, smoked Spanish paprika, and your regular old plain paprika. Today, we will talk all about smoked paprika. Where Hungarian paprika uses Hungarian peppers, smoked paprika is made from pimiento peppers that are smoked or charred, dried up, and then crushed into a fine, bright red powder. Smoked paprika tends to have an especially dark red color and a very noticeable, smoky aroma that gives you just a hint of what is to come. On the other hand, you can also use it for seasoning your vegetables or spicing up stews, curries, and sauces. Keep in mind that the smokiness of the paprika is often quite pronounced, so use it in moderation. You may want to use another agent if you want to amp up the heat level as well and offer more of a subtle smokiness. Start with half a teaspoon and increase the quantity as per your taste. Instead, it is preferred for its mouth watering smoky taste that adds a layer of complexity in the dish to which it is added. Smoked paprika uses peppers that are smoked with oak, a process that gives it a very strong, natural, and raw essence which reflects quite powerfully in your food. Hungarian paprika or hot paprika would be better substitutes if you are after that smokiness or heat level respectively. Other good replacements include chipotle powder and liquid smoke.
