So if you’ve been avoiding this beautiful, vibrant red spice because of a weird internet rumor, breathe easy. You can come back to it.
But that raises the real question: if paprika isn’t made from bugs, what is it made of? Where does that deep red color come from? And why are there so many different kinds—sweet, hot, smoked—all called paprika?
I spent way too many hours digging into the surprisingly fascinating world of paprika production. And what I found completely changed how I look at that little red jar in my spice cabinet. Let me walk you through it.
The Simple, Honest Answer: Paprika Is Just Ground Peppers
Here’s the truth in one sentence: paprika is made by drying and grinding specific varieties of red peppers, all from the Capsicum annuum family.
That’s it. Peppers. Nothing else.
Food
