It's an aromatic spice powder made from ground dried sweet bell pepper pods.
Paprika fittingly gets its name from the Latin word for "pepper." Asking for "paprika" in Holland and some other European countries may lead you to the produce aisle, where the word is used as a synonym for red, green, or yellow bell peppers.
Ranging in color from bright red to brown, paprika is used to add color and flavor to rice dishes, soups, sausages such as Spanish chorizo, and stews, including Hungarian goulash or chicken paprikash. Paprika comes in both sweet and hot varieties. But unlike cayenne, whose bright red color signals its pungency, brown paprika is the hottest.
Today, paprika is used widely in dishes throughout Europe and is produced primarily in Spain, South America, California and Hungary. But Hungarians are considered the masters of the spice, producing six varieties. Spanish smoked paprika is particularly in fashion at the moment, but you can also toast paprika for a few minutes in a dry pan to bring out the flavor (be careful as paprika's high sugar content means it burns easily) or combine paprika with cumin for a similar result. Paprika can also be mixed with oil and brushed onto chicken or pork before roasting or grilling to add color. Be sure to store paprika in a dark, dry place and don't let it linger on the shelf too long, as its delicate scent and flavor will fade.
Recipe: Braised Red Cabbage With Smoked Paprika And Sweet Onions (Cookthink)
Recipe: Chicken Paprikash (Cookthink)
Goulash is a Hungarian beef-based soup or light stew made with paprika and onions and traditionally eaten with potatoes.
The recipe for Gúlyas dates from the 9th century, before Hungary was a state, when nomads dried cooked meat in the sun, and carried it around to be boiled in water for stew or soup when the need arose.
Although goulash recipes vary as recipes do, the purist insists that goulash should not include wine, flour or sour cream just before serving, as many modern recipes indicate (the addition of sour cream technically makes a paprikás).
Goulash is eaten throughout Eastern Europe and the goulash that Americans usually make is closer to a Hungarian stew called pörkölt, that is eaten with noodles, although the term has come to mean a muddle of bastardized neo-goulash dishes with little resemblance to their Hungarian ancestors.
Not to be confused with the similar-sounding strudel (a famous Viennese pastry), streusel is a crumbly, crunchy dessert topping that's common in Central Europe.
A mixture of flour, butter and sugar—plus optional flavorings like cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon zest or nuts—it's sprinkled atop coffee cakes, muffins, fruit-based crumbles and other sweets before baking. (The word is derived the German verb "to scatter.")
Streusel is also the name of a round Alsatian brioche covered in sweet shortcrust pastry and sometimes filled with cream.
Reference: What is a crumble? (Cookthink)
Recipe: Maple Plum Crumble (Cookthink)
