Rectangles just taste better

March 20, 2018 4:16 PM

One of my few bits of brand loyalty I've retained from my childhood is to Pride of Szeged paprika in the red rectangular tin. In the Midwest in the 90s it was — so my parents claimed — the only kind worth cooking with, and I've kept that prejudice. But American grocery store spices are a lot better in general than I grew up with, at least in diverse coastal cities like the one where I now live. Is Pride of Szeged still the best you can get without going to a specialty retailer, or has the other stuff on the grocery store shelf gotten just as good and I'm making a stink over nothing?
posted by nebulawindphone to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

This sounds a little subjective. I've also never heard of the brand of paprika you're referring to. But I can say I have three jars of paprika from different brands in my cabinet and they all taste the same to me, which is to say they taste like almost nothing. I think I kept buying them thinking the brands I bought sucked, but I think now I've determined paprika doesn't taste like anything to me. I personally always buy spices that are organic and come in glass jars because those seems like markers of high quality.

(As a side note, I got smoked paprika and that does add a nice smokey flavor to dishes. But plain paprika seems to exist only for color, to me. One of my jars is called "sweet paprika" but it tastes the same — flavorless — as the regular paprikas.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 5:16 PM on March 20, 2018

Best answer: I recall hearing the same thing, in the same era -- my father grew up in Slavonija and Pride of Szeged was the only paprika in my parents' house. Since that time I've lived for a while in Transilvania, so I would like to think I've learned a couple things more about paprika in the intervening years.

That being said, I've not been overly impressed with the supermarket options I've seen in the US -- unless something's changed in the past couple years*, and either a) Penzey's has turned up at, say, Safeway, or b) the 'ethnic' aisles have stepped up their game**, it's not likely you'll find something better from McCormick's or whoever are the big names at the national chains.

*Caveat being that I haven't lived in the US for over a decade. Visits invariably require supermarket trips, but the last time I was back was over eighteen months ago.

**This is a distinct possibility. When last I was back I found Borsec mineral water -- widely considered to be the best in Romania -- at Target.

(If you're really serious about getting good stuff, I'd recommend doing mailorder from The Spice House -- their Hungarian Half-Sharp and Sweet varieties are lovely, and as they have faster turnover than bigger distributors your spices will be fresher, more fragrant and more flavourful. Even if supermarkets are stocking better-quality brands, the 'niche' spices like paprika are likely to sit on the shelf longer than, say, cinnamon and basil, which can still be stale at time of purchase.)
posted by myotahapea at 5:19 PM on March 20, 2018 [7 favorites]

Paprika most definitely has a subtle but fabulous flavor. My Hungarian Grandma always told us that good paprika (Szeged) is essential. All others are considered ‘brick dust’.
posted by kittygrandma at 5:23 PM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Somewhat related fact I learned after sprinkling smoked paprika on my cream cheese bagel and noticing it MOVING: paprika is prone to beetle infestation so put it in the freezer.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:38 PM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Pride of Szeged is the best commonly-available paprika I’ve found, and stacks up to a lot of fancy, higher-end paprikas IME.
posted by Itaxpica at 5:45 PM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Yeah, unless you are rolling with Penzeys or the Spice House (both owned by branches of the same family) the only paprika that worked for me was Pride of Szeged. Since you are from the Upper Midwest, the turnover at places like Kramarczuk's in Minneapolis is good so no dust problem.
posted by jadepearl at 6:44 PM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

I know and love that brand, and it is often the best available. But I now buy bulk paprika (smoked and sweet!) and it is better and less expensive, At a regular grocery store.

So my advice is try some bulk paprika , if you can easily do so.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:27 PM on March 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I don't think Pride of Szeged is as good as it was. If you read the can, the old ones said: "Pride of Szeged Hungarian Sweet/Hot Paprika", above a map of Hungary. The new ones say "Pride of Szeged Hungarian style Sweet/Hot Paprika", with no map.
posted by scruss at 7:46 PM on March 20, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: I cook with quite a bit of paprika. I haven’t purchased Pride in years, but I do stock every variety of paprika that Penzeys carries and they are all great.
You should do a taste test of Pride vs. Penzeys.
The Penzeys paprikas are quite sharp. Even the half sharp is quite spicy!
posted by littlewater at 8:01 PM on March 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: No comment on any brands mentioned here. We found a can from Hungary somewhere. Won't even attempt the brand - this keyboard doesn't work that way. Night and day compared to anything sourced on this side of the ocean.
posted by cfraenkel at 9:39 PM on March 20, 2018

...well, all be darned. I love paprika, but I had no idea there was such a difference in quality til I was reading this thread. Just figured I'd become more accustomed to the taste as an adult.

And then I looked up the "Pride of Szeged" and realized OMG that is what my grandmother used!

Thank you for your question! (And now I'm contemplating asking my own for recommendations on anise, because I just can't quite get her cookies right... they just aren't sharp enough in flavor.)
posted by stormyteal at 11:06 PM on March 20, 2018

Best answer: I adore the paprika (and pretty much everything else) from Morton & Bassett.
posted by I'm Not Even Supposed To Be Here Today! at 5:47 AM on March 21, 2018