smoked paprika
See also: paprika
Paprika made from peppers dried over smoldering wood before grinding, giving it a deep, smoky flavor well beyond the mild sweetness of regular paprika. Because the smoke flavor is concentrated, a little goes further than an equivalent amount of sweet paprika.
Buying guidance
Check that the label actually says smoked -- sometimes as Spanish pimenton or pimenton ahumado -- since regular paprika looks nearly identical in the jar but tastes very different. Buy in a quantity usable within a year or so, since ground spices lose potency well before they become unsafe.
Substitutions
- Sweet paprika plus a small amount of liquid smoke -- approximates the smoky character; add the liquid smoke carefully, since it's very concentrated.
- Chipotle powder -- smoky like smoked paprika but adds real heat, so use less and expect a spicier result.
Tips & common mistakes
Paprika, smoked or not, has more natural sugar than most ground spices, so it scorches and turns bitter faster in hot oil or a hot pan -- add it toward the end of browning, or use moderate heat rather than treating it like a more heat-tolerant spice.
Storage
As smoked paprika ages, it fades from a deep brick-red toward a duller orange-brown before the smoky aroma itself becomes noticeably weaker -- a jar that's visibly lightened in color is a good cue that it's due for replacing, even before opening it to check the smell.