Red but not spicy: How paprika powder adds color and flavor without the heat

Vivid color, richer flavor, adjustable heat — from goulash and chorizo to hansik dishes

A red powder dusted over a cream sauce might look like chili, but one taste reveals no heat at all. That crimson sprinkle is paprika powder — an ingredient used to deepen a dish's color and enhance its flavor.

In Korea, cooks typically reach for chili powder (gochugaru), but in Western cuisines where spicy heat is less familiar, paprika powder fills the same visual role without the burn. The red powder seen on restaurant dishes that carry color but no spice is almost always paprika powder, made by drying and grinding red bell peppers.

Paprika and chili peppers both belong to the same botanical species, Capsicum annuum. Within that species, plants are divided into hot peppers and sweet peppers based on their capsaicin content and fruit shape.

Hot peppers include red chili peppers, cheongyang chili peppers and cayenne. The mild, sweet-pepper side of the family includes paprika, green bell peppers and cucumber peppers.

According to the Rural Development Administration, paprika is 1.5 to 2 times sweeter than green bell pepper. Using paprika powder delivers a gentle sweetness without any heat, while also producing a vivid red color.

Paprika powder used in goulash (left) and hummus [123RF]

Among international cuisines, paprika powder appears most often in Hungarian and Spanish cooking. Hungary's national dish, goulash, is a prime example — a rich stew of beef and vegetables whose broth runs as red as Korea's yukgaejang, yet carries no spice at all. The color and mild sweetness come from paprika powder and long-cooked onions.

Spain's chorizo also owes its signature look to the spice. The sausage's deep red hue and smoky aroma come from smoked paprika powder, made by slowly drying and smoking red peppers over oak wood.

In Middle Eastern cooking, hummus is a familiar example. The beige chickpea dip — blended with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt — is typically finished with a dusting of paprika powder that adds a bright red accent to the surface.

In the United States, paprika powder is a common component of BBQ dry rub, the spice blend rubbed onto meat before grilling.

In Korean cooking, chili powder has long dominated, leaving few recipes that call for paprika powder. That is beginning to change as a wider range of paprika powder products reaches store shelves. Cooks are turning to it for two purposes: moderating heat and boosting color — particularly in dishes meant for children or people sensitive to spice.

In mild tteokbokki, for instance, reducing the chili powder and blending in paprika powder keeps the dish's red color intact while cutting the heat.

In stews such as kimchi jjigae, doenjang jjigae and yukgaejang, a spoonful of paprika powder deepens the broth's color. It also works well stirred into seasoned vegetable side dishes, adding a soft aroma and a touch of gentle sweetness.

gorgeous@heraldcorp.com