soft bathtub mat

Conclusion

Smoked Paprika

Now, what if you can’t find bell pepper powder at your local grocery store? It requires short work and it can be daunting at first, but you can make your own powder at home. To start, you have to dehydrate them first and then ground them to powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. To use as a backup, simply double the amount as the recipe suggests.

Smoked paprika, often called pimenton, or smoked Spanish paprika is made from peppers that are smoked, dried over oak fires and then crushed into a fine, bright red powder. Bringing a deeper, richer, cooler flavour to the table. When it comes to heat, smoked paprika can be mild (pimentón dulce), medium (pimentón agridulce), or hot (pimentón picante).
Did you know? The vibrant red colour of paprika is because it contains high levels of carotene, the same pigment found most notably in, believe it or not, carrots.

Natural paprika suppliers source their peppers from farms that adhere to strict organic farming practices. This ensures that the peppers are grown in a way that is environmentally sustainable and free from harmful chemicals. By choosing natural paprika, consumers can enjoy a product that is not only delicious but also free from synthetic additives and pesticides.

To recreate the spice of hot paprika, the best substitute is another dried chilli, like ground cayenne, aleppo pepper powder, crushed red pepper flakes, red chilli powder, or even a dash of hot sauce. If your recipe calls for smokiness and sweetness, try chipotle chilli powder or ancho pepper powder. Chipotle powder has a smoky taste, but is hotter than paprika with a more earthy flavour, lending itself to barbecue sauces, rubs and chillis. Due to the difference in heat, use a ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder for every teaspoon of paprika and adjust depending on your taste buds.

If you’re looking to replicate the flavour of sweet paprika add a pinch of sugar or some honey. Adding mild chilli powder or tomato powder works too. Bell peppers are another great substitute for sweet paprika and they come from the same Capsicum annuum family. Mild, sweet and aromatic, bell peppers give the same delicious taste and aroma, while adding a splash of colour too. When buying your bell peppers, make sure they’re nice and ripe.

One of the best substitutes for paprika is cayenne pepper. It’s a spicy chilli pepper, used to flavour many different cuisines and quite similar in colour. It’s a lot stronger and hotter than paprika, so if you’re using it as a substitute in your cooking, make sure you use a lesser quantity. If you have a lower tolerance to spicy food, you can add salt, cream, chopped tomatoes or more liquid (water or broth) to try and dial down the heat.

Like paprika, chilli powder packs a lot of flavour and is another worthy substitute. It’s also not as spicy as cayenne pepper, so you can use the same quantities.  The same goes for cajun spices. A combination of black and white pepper, plus other herbs and spices, it can work as a good substitute for smoked or sweet paprika, offering a similar flavour. But you won’t get the same beautiful red colour – more of an orange, warm hue.

You can also use cumin instead of paprika. But it’s a lot hotter, so go easy on the quantities. Like cajun spices, you won’t achieve the gorgeous red colour of paprika, as cumin has more of a yellowy-brown colouring, but you’ll still get an earthy flavour with hints of bitterness and sweetness.