Where to get low'n'slow 101?

[aris]

Your local asian shop will typically not stock sweet paprika. When you see 'Paprika' in American recipes, it refers to sweet paprika. The 'paprika' you get in asian shops is hot and spicy.

Sweet paprika is more common eastern European and Spanish cooking - so you might try some of new crop of Eastern European shops which have cropped up in most towns. Things like onion powder are harder to find - but eBay can be a good source for small quantities - as they typically don't fleece you on shipping costs. Oddly enough, I find very good quality sweet paprika at TK Maxx.

The shop Keith pointed to is also known as 'Just Ingredients'.

http://www.justingredients.co.uk/

[robgunby]

Your local asian shop will typically not stock sweet paprika. When you see 'Paprika' in American recipes, it refers to sweet paprika. The 'paprika' you get in asian shops is hot and spicy.

Not so, most of the Asian shops in Sheffield sell "paprika" (sweet) and "hot paprika" (spicy). My wife and kids are rather averse to spice, and if I put 2 cups of hot paprika in my rub I would soon know about it!

Don't know where you buy your paprika, but I have never had a problem getting both sweet and hot paprika in Sheff, but I do find it hard to get smoked as sweet paprika.

TK Maxx! Well I never!

[aris]

I'm in the southeast and never see it in Asian shops - and I have plenty to choose from too

I get smoked sweet, but in the supermarket. The Spanish stuff whitch comes in little square tins.

[robgunby]

When I say Asian, I mean specifically Indian and Pakistani, rather than East Asian. Can get both kinds in a lot of Arabic shops here too, there are lots of Turkish and Egyptian shops in Sheff. Surprising that both kinds can't be found down south! Even more surprising to hear of hot paprika just being labelled paprika. The stuff sold in tiny jars in Tesco, that's just labelled paprika, and that's the sweet stuff. I think Schwartz make an overpriced hot paprika.

[aris]

Indeed. I have found that unless it says sweet paprika, it isn't.

[robgunby]

OK, I'm starting to question my own logic now! The paprika sold in Tesco, Sainsburys et al, that is sold just as paprika, not hot paprika, is it not sweet paprika? It isn't hot - I put tablespoon after tablespoon in my cooking and there is no heat discernible. If this isn't sweet paprika, and it isn't hot paprika, what is it?!

The quest continues!

[aris]

I don't know - but the issue came up at the Harry Soo 101 event last year. He tasted some British "paprika" and it was quite spicy and totally different from what he was used to in the US. I just stick with Spanish sweet or noble sweet paprika so I know what i'm in for. My family and some friends don't like anything hot - in fact some have some sort of allergic reaction to it, so I tend to not use anything with a scoville >0

Heat can be added to the sauce - and then my guests have a choice.

[robgunby]

My family and some friends don't like anything hot - in fact some have some sort of allergic reaction to it, so I tend to not use anything with a scoville >0

Heat can be added to the sauce - and then my guests have a choice.

Heh, yeah, same issue here, hence my interest in the subject I'm going to try our local TK Maxx to see if the sweet stuff they have in is any different to the stuff I buy from Makro et al. Thanks for the heads up - will report back in a fresh thread if I find anything worth mentioning!

[aris]

My family and some friends don't like anything hot - in fact some have some sort of allergic reaction to it, so I tend to not use anything with a scoville >0

Heat can be added to the sauce - and then my guests have a choice.

Heh, yeah, same issue here, hence my interest in the subject I'm going to try our local TK Maxx to see if the sweet stuff they have in is any different to the stuff I buy from Makro et al. Thanks for the heads up - will report back in a fresh thread if I find anything worth mentioning!

The stuff at TKMAXX is totally different to anything i've seen elsewhere - it is posh looking Spanish stuff in large tins.
I've had a few different brands off them over the years. It isn't cheap though - about 3 pounds for a large tin. You can get nice Spanish paprika off ebay and some speciality Spanish shops. They call it Pimenton in Spain. La Chinata is a good brand - I grab several tins of the smoked sweet La Chinata paprika whenever I see it at the supermarket.

[aris]

I saw these in my cupboard and recall this thread. Here is a pic of some of the nice spanish sweek paprikas I get at TkMaxx

Cost between 2.59 and 2.99 a tin. They did not come with the Opinel

Click for a larger image.