paprika

paprika is a coveted, distinctively tasting vegetable that belongs to the Solanaceae like the potato and the tomato and is one of the low-calorie, extremely rich vitamin and mineral donors. Among the more than 2,000 known species are also very spicy tasting varieties such as chili and hot peppers. Capsaicin is responsible for the different pungent taste of the peppers.

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You should know that about paprika

Primitive forms of paprika were already around 7,000 BC. About 9,000 years ago, it was cultivated as a crop in certain regions of Central and South America. The first breeding forms with defined breeding goals were created about 6,000 years ago in the same regions.

Only Christopher Columbus brought the first pepper plants to Europe around 1500. As these were very spicy varieties, it was intended to break the hitherto prevailing spice monopoly on black pepper from India. Meanwhile, peppers are commercially grown in virtually every subtropical and temperate zone worldwide in a virtually unmistakable variety of varieties. A year-round supply of the German market with paprika vegetables is ensured. While in the summer months peppers from domestic production and from Spain, the Netherlands and Hungary dominate the market, come in the winter months and sweet peppers from Israel and hot peppers from Egypt for sale.

The popular, versatile paprika vegetables are therefore also outside of the peak season from July to November high enough in all quality levels – even in organic quality – to have. Especially in the winter months, paprika as a supplier of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, flavonoids and other phytochemicals can make an important contribution to the sufficient supply of vital and metabolically relevant substances. Positively suggests that pepper is extremely low in nutrients and with about 20 kilocalories per 100 grams, even when consumed in larger quantities does not pose dietary problems.

The taste of the paprika varies from species to variety and is also dependent on the degree of ripeness of the vegetables. Red, fully ripe peppers develop a slightly sweetish taste, while green peppers have a rather tart taste and yellow peppers can be classified as mild in the taste. Whether the peppers are green, red or yellow is not dependent on the variety, but solely on the time of harvest. The more or less spicy taste depends on the capsaicin content. The peppers distributed in Germany can generally be classified as very mild.

Importance for the health

The health importance of peppers is less due to their nutrient content in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, because this is considered to be rather poor. Rather, the enormous health benefits of paprika lie in the high content of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, carotenoids, flavonoids and other secondary metabolically relevant ingredients with additional importance for digestion and for the immune system.

The content of vitamin C in mellow red peppers alone, at 117 milligrams per 100 grams, is more than twice that of oranges and lemons. Capsaicin has a special meaning, which gives the peppers – depending on the variety – a certain sharpness. It can neutralize so-called free radicals in the body, stimulates digestion, metabolism and blood circulation. Capsaicin supports the immune system to prevent certain cancers.

ingredients & Nutritional information

The amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fat that peppers produce per 100 g are very modest and can only contribute little to a balanced diet with macronutrients. It looks better with 3.4g per 100 g of vegetables in the dietary fiber. Paprika is thus in the upper third of all commonly used vegetables.

However, peppers can shine with secondary phytochemicals of health relevance. Particularly striking is the high content of vitamin C and vitamin E (2,500 μg / 100 g). The content of vitamin E in peppers exceeds that of parsnips three times. Substances such as tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are attributed to vitamin E, are known as effective antioxidants. Peppers also play a role as a supplier of minerals and trace elements.

intolerances & allergies

As with almost all natural foods, people can react to certain ingredients of the peppers with food intolerance or even develop allergic reactions. For peppers, it’s mainly capsaicin, an alkaloid that triggers the reactions. Capsaicin is the substance that gives the paprika the pungent taste. However, some peppers are such. B. classified under sweet peppers varieties only a very low content of capsaicin.

If abnormal tiredness, lack of energy or even sleep disturbance regularly develop after eating paprika, the symptoms may indicate a food intolerance to paprika. Rarely also pronounced allergic reactions occur with malaise, abdominal pain and other nonspecific symptoms. If the allergic reactions occur when eating all types of paprika, this is often due to the lack of enzyme diaminooxidase, which is needed by the body to break down the capsaicin.

Here you will find your medication

shopping- & kitchen Tips

In addition, care should be taken to ensure the shell is intact. Since many types of peppers are susceptible to disease and pests, the temptation for the vegetable grower to use insecticides, fungicides and other means to protect the peppers within the permitted range is great. It is therefore highly recommended to prefer organic qualities from the outset when purchasing. Paprika is a ripening, cold-sensitive vegetables that should not be stored in the refrigerator, but kept separate from other ripening vegetables or fruit at about 10 to 15 degrees optimally for several days and kept fresh.

Peppers are eaten raw, either as part of a raw salad or cooked as a vegetable or chopped in sauces or similar garnishes. Consuming the peppers in the raw state guarantees the full vitamin content, because during cooking some sensitive phytonutrients lose their physiological effect, because the high temperature their chemical composition or their tertiary structure is destroyed.

preparation tips

For some types of preparation, the paprika must be freed from the thin outer and also indigestible skin. The peppers are halved or quartered as usual, freed from cores and the inner casing and then placed with the skin up in the preheated to 200 to 220 degrees oven.

As soon as the skin throws bubbles and partially brown-black spots are recognizable, the peppers are briefly quenched in ice water. The skin can now be removed from the stem to the tip. If the different colors of peppers are to be preserved when cooking sauces or soups, it is important not to use acidic ingredients such as wine, vinegar or lemon, because otherwise the bright colors assume a uniform brownish – and rather unattractive – brownish hue.

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