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Hungarian Szeged Paprika

Hungarian Szeged Paprika

Will the "Real" Hungarian Szeged Paprika please stand-up!

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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.