Smoked paprika, often called pimenton, or smoked Spanish paprika is made from peppers that are smoked, dried over oak fires and then crushed into a fine, bright red powder. Bringing a deeper, richer, cooler flavour to the table. When it comes to heat, smoked paprika can be mild (pimentón dulce), medium (pimentón agridulce), or hot (pimentón picante).
Did you know? The vibrant red colour of paprika is because it contains high levels of carotene, the same pigment found most notably in, believe it or not, carrots.

There is no easy answer to where paprika comes from. While paprika is closely associated with Hungary and Hungarian cuisine, paprika peppers did not arrive in that part of the world until the mid to late 16th century. The origin of all peppers can be traced to South America, where they grew wild and were distributed throughout South and Central America, mostly by birds. Eventually, peppers were cultivated, and native traders travelling through these regions carried them across the Caribbean as cargo in dugout canoes.