People left 'mind-blown' after finding out what paprika is actually made out of
This popular spice is made out of an unlikely vegetable, which has taken many by surprise.
Whether you're the house chef or the dishwasher, it's likely that many of your meals contain the popular spice paprika. A cooking staple in most homes, this gorgeous spice gives a sweet and smoky kick to any dish you're preparing.
But if you're unsure what this delicious powder is actually made of, you're not the only one. In fact, one person has shared the spice's main ingredient on social media, much to the surprise of many others users.
The jars of paprika you probably have in your kitchen cupboard is not in fact made up of ground-up trees or plants, like most people seem to believe.
Instead, the spicy substance is made of a popular crushed vegetable that's probably in your fridge right now.
The Mirror reported that Twitter user @simsimmaaz discovered that the spice was actually made up of red bell peppers.
Sharing this immense discovery in 2023, they tweeted: "Learning that paprika is just dried and crushed red bell peppers was really shocking. Like I dunno why I thought there was a Paprika tree somewhere."
Other people seemed to be equally as shocked, with one person replying: "I didn't think there was a paprika tree, but I for sure thought it was some kind of spice blend or like its own thing that they just powdered."
Another confessed: "I also thought there was a curry tree and that allspice was a combination of spices."
And another person said: "I’ve been cooking for decades and just realized this same truth in the last month. Mind blown."
Paprika can be made with many different types of peppers, including cayenne or Aleppo. They're dried out first, then crushed using a grinder or mortar and pestle.
While it's used in a variety of different world cuisines, paprika itself originated in Central and South America.
The spice was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, and over hundreds of years, the red powder has become a staple of most of our kitchen cupboards.
But paprika is not only a delicious addition to many different meals. It also boasts a range of potential health benefits.
Healthline explains that paprika offers several potential health benefits due to its rich antioxidant content and vitamins.
These benefits include supporting eye health, reducing inflammation, promoting healthy digestion, and potentially aiding in the prevention of certain chronic diseases.
Healthy eating
Additionally, paprika contains capsaicin, which may help improve cholesterol levels and blood sugar.
You may have also pondered on the differences between regular paprika and smoked paprika.
Regular paprika contains crushed dried red peppers, while smoked paprika is made from smoke-dried red peppers that were dried over an oak fire before being ground into a powder.