Good Cooking since 1995
Hungarian Szeged Paprika
Will the "Real" Hungarian Szeged Paprika please stand-up!
more info:
As with many products that are produced worldwide, some countries have designated areas of their country as protected, certified or departments of origin, and in some cases the usage of the products name.
For an example, Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France and must be made in a very specific way, as it has been made for centuries. Made elsewhere in the world, it must called sparkling wine and can be made in the method of Champagne, aka. method champenoise. The French are very protective of their indiginous products and through international trade laws they have be able to protect Champagne from cheap immitations.
The same rules
of origin and quality apply to a type of Hungarian Paprika...The state
protected Szeged region's Paprika growers and millers must use
traditional methods of growing, drying and milling to be called Szeged
Paprika.
Many of the Paprika brands from Szeged stay there
and aren't exported. One familiar brand to the Americas is "Pride of
Szeded" and I feel that it's excellent, as I'm sure all Paprikas from
that region are. I've used it for years in Chicken Paprikas, Veal
Hongroise, Goulash and many other dishes.
Look: the same name, "Pride of Szeged"! The real one is on the left---it's
Hungarian and not Hungarian Style! The one on the right is an immitation
of the famed Hungarian "Pride of Szeged" Paprika! There are no international laws
to prevent it.
You can count on the "Pride of Szeded" brand being authentic and a real Hungarian Paprika from Sedged! As with almost everything else, copy cat brands have sprung up. Don't be fooled again with an imitation, especially when it says Hungarian Style, even though it's packaged in almost an idenitcal container---cripes, everyone is just out to make a buck and try and fool us consumers. So beware of everything you buy and read the lables and not just look at the similar container.