Food processor: Let the food processor do the heavy lifting! Add the dried peppers to the bowl and give it a whirl in short bursts until you’ve got the paprika powder of your dreams. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides for an even grind!

The big difference between these two mixtures is the consistency. Sauces such as hot sauces are more liquid than pastes. It is meant to lightly coat food and even enhance the taste of the food instead of covering it up with its taste. Pastes meanwhile are thicker, more viscous, and more concentrated. It’s common to see pastes such as sriracha spread onto food in a light layer instead of being allowed to coat it.  

Polyphenols, such as curcumin, have gained popularity because epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown that diets rich in them can provide inflammatory relief. At the molecular level, polyphenols help stabilize oxidation in cellular components. Oxidation can lead to damage to organelles within cells, including mitochondria, the cell powerhouses where much of the cell's energy is produced by the oxygen we breathe. Eating foods with antioxidant properties, such as berries, nuts, healthy fats, and turmeric, is thought to help maintain levels of oxidative damage.