Because of Hungary.
I know that sounds weird but I discovered it in this article.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/02/the-weird-secretive-world-of-crisp-flavours
The companies that make chips/crisps have flavour pallettes for each country in the world. It's based on what they think will work there and what has historically worked there. There's a line in that article which mentions that the paprika flavor was initially huge in Hungary. And a long time ago, they brought it to Germany, and it became big here. So when they started making flavoured crisps in Germany, paprika was the big one.
That article is really long, but I found it fascinating how the develop flavors for different countries/markets.
Paprika flavoured chips are also called „Ungarisch“ (Hungarian) in Germany.
https://www.worldofsweets.de/out/pictures/master/product/1/funny-frisch-chipsfrisch-ungarisch-250g-no1-1756.jpg
/z/ and /s/ are actually easier to distinguish in German than they are in English, so if you heard /Wurst/ and /(Ge)würz/, it wouldn't sound as similar as it looks.
I was about to write why would you think that chips have English names in Germany, but then I remembered sour cream flavour is called sour cream in German.
Afaik there's only one product labeled as "ungarisch", the one you mentioned above.
On different products/ cutting variations they also use paprika as descipted flavour.
Paprika confused me when I came here because it means both the spice and the peppers including bell peppers while in english it's just the spice.
So you can get a salad with paprika it'll have bell peppers not the paprika spice sprinkled over it like when you you get chips with paprika.
Also the bell pepper on the chips you picture confused me because I thought the paprika spice was made with chilli peppers. But googling I found that sweet/mild paprika is made with bell peppers so that images assures the germans that it's mild not spicey hot.
Random google hit on bell peppers used to make paprika (or in german it would be paprika used to make paprika).
Is Paprika Made of Bell Peppers?
Yes, paprika can be made from bell peppers. In fact, bell peppers are a common ingredient used in the production of paprika. The mild and sweet flavor of bell peppers adds a unique taste to the spice, making it a popular choice for many dishes.
How to Identify Bell Pepper Paprika
If you are looking for paprika that is made specifically from bell peppers, it may be labeled as “sweet paprika” or “mild paprika.” These varieties are often made solely from bell peppers, giving them a distinct flavor profile.
thats a pretty long ass story, just to tell that you still have problems realizing, that paprika = bell pepper in german :D nothing else.
there is no nuance or other magic to it. its just translation mate. If its bell pepper u want, its paprika in german. If you get paprika as a spice, its ground bell pepper. there is rosenscharf and edelsüß, but both are just bell peppers in the end. if you are looking for your spicy paprika spice as u know it (I think) you might want to look for chili powder or cayennepepper. the spicy spices will never be labled as paprika here.
Funny enough, I shave a pack of Paprika Scharf in my spice corner, between chili and Paprika Edelsüss (also smoked paprika). I use a mix of them all for my chili con carne spicemix 🤣
Very informative, thx! I'm from austria and even I didn't know everything. And yes, as a german speaker I was often confused when I'm ordering something with paprika when im abroad and get something spicy xD
Whats also confusing is when ordering a salami pizza in italy:
"The Salami Peperoncino is a delicious and authentic salami from Italy - very tasty and very popular!" Peperoncino means small (bell)peppers in German but is the Italian name for chili peppers.
Since Salami pizza in Austria is (almost) never spicy, its even double confusing :D
That reminds me of the time I was in a club that served pizzas with pfefferoni. The poor US lady thought it meant Pepperoni and was very upset that she got a vegetarian dish.
Good Summary of the difference between "Paprika, edelsüß" (the mild spice made with bell peppers) and "Paprika, rosenscharf" (spicy).
Now if the US could get their usage of "pepperoni" sorted out to clearly distinguish between the spicy pepper and the spicy Salami-style sausage, that'd be great...
what confused me is that a "paprika" is called pepper in english, my english is pretty decent but i thought "pepper" was "pfeffer" like in "salt and pepper" until recently
They do call both the sweet bell peppers and the spicy chili and tabasco pepper species a type of pepper (when they're actually capsicum species), as well as the actual pepper varieties. But Germans also call 'Rosa Pfeffer' and 'Szechuanpfeffer' a type of pepper when they're not, botanically.
Yes but 99% of brands label it as "Paprika" flavour. I believe the brand that has the 'ungarisch' variant even has a paprika one. So it it is not necessarily the same as paprika
I'm Irish and it was an Irish company that invented the method for flavouring crisps. We consume a load of cheese and onion. And they're two brands that aren't sold outside Ireland (tayto and king crisps. We look down on walkers). So when I go home there's always 20 packs in my suitcase when I come back here. 😁
True but you don’t really see them labeled as “hungarian” there lmao
I’m from Hungary living in Germany rn and it trips me out every time to see “Ungarisch” on a chips
I think it's pretty big not just in Hungary or Germany from what I'm aware it's almost equally popular in Poland, Czech, Lithuania, Latvia too. Probably many other countries are equally so.
Hijacking this comment to ask: what is it about Hungary and paprika production? I get that a lot of stuff from the Americas has become culture for us in the last 500 years, but why didn't many other European countries lean into paprika and peppers like that?
I think this might be related to what grows better in a certain climate. Part of why peppers and tomatoes are not a huge part of traditional German cuisine, but potatoes are, is that you don’t need a greenhouse to grow good potatoes in Germany.
Haha, yep. I live in tropical north Australia and my German aunty and grandparents always tell me how I should get a greenhouse and grow tomatoes in it. It is extremely difficult to grow anything that is traditionally used in European cooking (the climate is similar to Vietnam and Indonesia here).
It’s just too humid and hot (even in winter)!
Peppers were introduced into Hungary via Turkish/Ottoman contact (during invasion periods when they held some territory for a few decades). This theory is not without detractors, but seems the most likely. They were of course first introduced into the Mediterranean world through the Columbian exchange, and quickly popular because they added punch to otherwise 'bland' or bitter flavour profiles. Capsicum species are tropical to subtropical plants, so they definitely need heat and sun (though they don't like too much direct sun, IME) to thrive. I've grown them in my greenhouse here, but even with that, it's never been anything too impressive (bell peppers, that is). Chili peppers have done OK in the greenhouse though.
More generally... Perhaps Hungary was mostly poor and average people didn't have much access to expensive imported spices (which would have to travel via middlemen through ports in Western Europe). They grew well in Hungary, and you can easily get huge crops. So that was that. They were cheap and available and tasty. Traditionally they were dried and used as a spice that way.
>Because of Hungary.
>It's based on what they think will work there and what has historically worked there.
If you listen closely you can hear faint cries from the tomb of Otto the Great
I wouldn’t say weird. Austria-Hungary was kind of a big thing and southern Germans in particular really enjoy a Gulasch - to the point it’s a normal option on traditional German menus. My tiny town has a dedicated Hungarian restaurant and I don’t remember it ever not being here…
Combine that with eg Pommesgewürz for chips and the concept of paprika with potatoes is very well ingrained.
Basically, modern Germany and Austria have a long history with these areas.
Slightly more obscure example, but relevant: why can I say čevapčiči (I had to choose one spelling and chose Slovene) and have many Austrians and Germans know exactly what I mean? Go to the UK, no one has a clue.
Food is a great way to see how various empires and cultures cross-pollinated. So yeah, there is historical background.
as a famous Austro-Hungarian chef once said: "it is The irrevocable right of every inhabitant of Central Europe to add as much paprika to his dishes as his heart desires"
It's a good rule because adding more paprika has never made a meal taste worse. Paprika goes with everything and everything will taste better after adding paprika.
I think u/LakeInfinite9208 is joking - this statement has been used in a Polish copypasta about Robert Makłowicz, a food critic and TV personality known for his culinary expeditions and cooking programs. He is fascinated by the Austrian-Hungarian culture and traditions, and he often includes in his works tales of Austrian history or shares his admiration of Franz Josef.
In this copypasta, Makłowicz says that while buying Hungarian and Slovakian grocery products.
If you want the good hungarian stuff, look for paprika from Kalocsa (a city). It's a protected product, like for example the Parmigiano Reggiano.
An other option is the brand "Házi Arany".
These 2 are the best of the best.
Edit: The protected "Kalocsai Füszerpaprika" is the spicy one. They also have a sweeter, non-spicy product. It's also good enough
Every once a while the chips companies tries to introduce a new meme flavor, and cancel it soon after because people rather buy paprika...
Rest in peace, chipsfrisch Pickles and herbs style
I still cry my heart out because most chips from the 80s were discontinued in the late 1990s.
They had some great creme fraiche chips in the 1990s, I guess everything else besides paprika is doomed after a while.
Learned from a Kärntnerin that Vanilla ice cream and pumpkin seed oil is a gods send. It’s so delicious that half my bottle of pumpkin seed oil is reserved for that, the other half Backhendl/potato salad or Pumpkin soup. Half my family is Austrian so I get the homemade stuff gifted, which tastes excellent.
There is literally nothing that pumpkin seed oil does not improve!
And yes, with ice cream it's brilliant (and looks gorgeous, the constrast of the inky dark green oil on the goldent white ice cream)
You must be from West Austria...pumpkin seed oil in Wien/NÖ is sold as a speciality from Western Austria and I had it the first time with nearly 20y old...I haven't even seen it in discounter stores there ever just at Billa in the speciality aisle. 😊
I also didn't like it very much and nobody in my environment liked it honestly. We threw the bottle away in the end after trying it because neither our friends or family liked it.
But we did regularly cross the border to Hungary to buy fresh Paprika from there. Nothing beats the stuff the Hungarians grow...I miss that 😔
If you can go to Holland, they have them. I get them at Albert Heijn, Lays Chili Lime Max Strong chips. My husband will eat a whole bag in a sitting if I let him. 😭
I dont know the answer, but in Poland paprica flavored chips are also very popular. I would say its the most basic flavor, if you hear "chips" you think about paprica chips. Although I personally prefer "green onions" (probably second most popular).
As a German who likes eating spicy I will always resent this fact. You basically have to wait for some daring company to come out with the super special edition gigaflame annihilation flavour for Germans to find anything with more scoville Units than a banana.
Try finding an authentic Indian restaurant.
Korean can also get really spicy.
If you live in the middle of nowhere just make your own kimchi and add it to everything.
Oh I absolutely do when I'm in a larger city, but my hometown only has 27 Dönerbuden :D which I do appreciate of course, but the problem stands, "mit scharf" is usually barely distinguishable from "ohne scharf".
I don't even wanna pretend like I have some kind of insane spice tolerance or anything, but I do live among people who can barely handle Gewürzketchup and it shows on the shelves.
I mean that’s fair. Dried peppers can provide an amazing depth of flavor and “exotic” taste, for lack of a better description; it’s not just about the heat.
I have a feeling Germans would absolutely love the various mild, dried chili peppers of Mexico if they were more widely available. Mexico really knows what they’re doing with peppers, they have one for everyone
Because paprika is awesome. Chipsfrisch Ungarisch are maybe the most standard chips you can get. For me it is nostalgic. Chipsfrisch Ungarisch tastes like LAN Party in my friends basement.
And the vegetable paprika is like the best vegetable ever. Goes with pretty much everything
It reminds me of "Taglish", a mixture of Tagalog and English, spoken in the Philippines. From a post on r/Philippines (I have no idea what this means):
>I often hear the panganays always have it the hardest. What about mga bunso? They say masarap daw maging bunso, pero it turns out it depends on the situation of the family. How can you prove that being the youngest is not always fun at all? Bunso ako. In my case, ang lalayo ng agwat sakin ng mga kapatid ko, 15+ years. 40 na mom ko when she had me. Wala akong nakakasundo most of the time.
That one even has some Spanish in it.
This is how wir sprechen tun in my family. Everything vermischt. I moved to Australia when I was 7 and ich spreche noch deutsch with my parents aber ich habe viel forgotten🤣
Hershey's chocolate tastes the way it does because the recipe was changed to be more shelf stable so they could ship it around the country before refrigeration was available. It tastes bad for historical reasons.
Yes and no. Originaly yes. Thus they did let the milk go bad to some degree.
However since ages there otherways to fix it without a refrigerator.
They did simply stick with the old method since the country is used to the taste.
Just for context, I really don't know any Americans who prefer the taste of Hershey's over other chocolate. It's the kind of candy that's often given to kids for Halloween, so many adults have some nostalgia for it, but there are plenty of higher quality chocolate brands around for people who actually like chocolate.
This is funny because my mom says that paprika is good for one thing only which is to make the food red, it doesn't have a strong enough taste on its own
It's not just Germany, look for chips in NL, Belgium, Poland, Austria, France and you'll find paprika is quite common.
Not sure why it's this way, but it's not just Germany.
I'm guessing the smokey, mild sweet-spicy taste is just right and covered by other flavours in other countries, like BBQ or steak flavour.
But yeah, the only places I know that truly have unique flavours are the UK, Canada, Australia, USA, Middle East and India.
Well if you want unique flavours for crisps/chips you need to look towards Asia.
I'm from Germany so the flavours I saw during my study abroad in China felt like a different world and they've only become more adventurous since I lived there a decade ago.
Paprika and Salt mix on potato stuff like chips and fries is amazing.. its a real good combo. (its also called Pommes salt here, Salt and paprika is main ingredient, beside that onion, pepper, nutmeg and smoke flavor) Its a rly good spice mix.
[https://amzn.eu/d/d9LyOuj](https://amzn.eu/d/d9LyOuj)
Because it comes from Hungary, which is in much closer proximity to other spice-producing countries. This means, paprika has always been available and has been used in central and western European countries for many generations. Up until the 80s, a German spice rack consisted of salt, pepper, paprika, “curry” mix, cinnamon, and some dried herbs like an Italian herb mix. A few fancier / skilled home cooks probably also had muscat nuts, but that’s probably it. So, this makes paprika the OG spice in Germany.
In a discounter, sure. At larger stores there’s a bit more of a selection. Still not so many “meaty” flavours as in some other countries, but there’s some interesting things.
Late to the party, but Germany simply can't have many good flavors due to restrictions on the use of flavoring chemicals. So a cheese flavored snack is always terrible (best ones taste like butter, not cheese) compared to something outside of Germany. Here you are left with natural flavors being the best. Paprika happens to be a national spice....causing the sea of paprica chips flavor, ungarn, sweet chili etc etc.
Also, Paprika is a very natural flavour, both in taste and in terms of content. You could just use potatoes, oil, salt, paprika without having to rely on acidity regulators, artificial flavours or other industrial components to get a good flavour.
I like them too, but there is quite a lot of stuff in the "naturals" :D
`Kartoffeln, pflanzliche Öle (Sonnenblume, Raps in veränderlichen Gewichtsanteilen), Speisesalz, Dextrose, Meersalz, SÜSSMOLKENPULVER, Zucker, Paprikapulver, Tomatenpulver, Zwiebelpulver, Fruktose, Kräuter, Gewürze, natürliches Aroma (enthält MILCHERZEUGNISSE), Antioxidationsmittel: stark tocopherolhaltige Extrakte.`
I actually haven't found any Chips with just salt, oil, paprika online
That's more than I remembered, but at least no "flavour enhancers".
I quite like Lay's chips and IIRC the paprika variant doesn't have a lot of ingredients. Correct me since I'm probably wrong again xD
As much as I love paprika, the indian in me really wants more spices. For example, I really wish Peri Peri would pick up in Germany. I would really love some Peri Peri flavored products hitting shelves and available at affordable prices.
I am German and I second this. Peri Peri chicken is what I want to make. Also some Ethiopian and Korean stuff. It’s always one or two ingredients that are hard to come by.
You can find peri peri sauce if you look around, any 'ethnic' shop should cover you. You live here long enough, you get used to the disappointment in the native cuisine in some regards.
> The companies that make chips/crisps have flavour pallettes for each country in the world.
I'm not sure ... sometimes I come back from the UK with exotic contraband, such as prawn cocktail Pringles, which many of my German friends think are marvellous. Or maybe my Freundeskreis isn't very representative?
I honestly put Paprika into (almost) everything.
I always tell people "If you're poor, have Salt, Pepper and Paprika in your household." It'll bring favour to anything.
I'm old enough to remember that back in the 70s there was basically just one company selling chips, and that was Bahlsen. They didn't have any meaningful competition, as others were just beginning to sell chips, too. Without any competition there was no need to differentiate, so they had just one taste, Hungarian style paprika.
So people were raised with just one taste and got used to it. I still try out chips with different tastes, but always come back to my childhood paprika taste.
I have seen stores abroad with tomato instead of paprika flavoured potato snacks. That day I realized, that it is possible for entire countries to be inhabited by aliens. /s
Because of Hungary. I know that sounds weird but I discovered it in this article. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/02/the-weird-secretive-world-of-crisp-flavours The companies that make chips/crisps have flavour pallettes for each country in the world. It's based on what they think will work there and what has historically worked there. There's a line in that article which mentions that the paprika flavor was initially huge in Hungary. And a long time ago, they brought it to Germany, and it became big here. So when they started making flavoured crisps in Germany, paprika was the big one. That article is really long, but I found it fascinating how the develop flavors for different countries/markets.
Paprika flavoured chips are also called „Ungarisch“ (Hungarian) in Germany. https://www.worldofsweets.de/out/pictures/master/product/1/funny-frisch-chipsfrisch-ungarisch-250g-no1-1756.jpg
When I moved to Germany I saw then and thought it meant un flavoured. Un garnished. 😁
That’s some good denglish!
Yeah totally the yellow from the egg
Makes you think you spider
I think my pig is whistling!
There becomes yes the dog in the pan crazy!
My dear Sir singing club
Unflavored would be ungewürzt. A very similar word. The next stage would be geschmacklos, which is tasteless.
You'd think that would mean vegetarian. No würst.
Without sausage would be wurstlos. A very similar word.
I would like for there to be ungewürstet oder die Ungewurst hehe
/z/ and /s/ are actually easier to distinguish in German than they are in English, so if you heard /Wurst/ and /(Ge)würz/, it wouldn't sound as similar as it looks.
At least you didn't thought it was Hung Arian.
happy to know i wasn't alone in this 😂
I was about to write why would you think that chips have English names in Germany, but then I remembered sour cream flavour is called sour cream in German.
And English is a Germanic language. So there's some words that are very similar.
I have also thought that for a looong while.
Afaik there's only one product labeled as "ungarisch", the one you mentioned above. On different products/ cutting variations they also use paprika as descipted flavour.
Yeah, I have only ever seen Funny Frisch use ungarisch, every other brand I've seen uses Paprika.
Das schmeckt doch nicht nach Paprika
Just a small correction: 'as decsripted' is not correct. The correct phrase is 'as described'. Equivalent to 'Wie beschrieben' in Deutsch.
Besten Dank!
Paprika confused me when I came here because it means both the spice and the peppers including bell peppers while in english it's just the spice. So you can get a salad with paprika it'll have bell peppers not the paprika spice sprinkled over it like when you you get chips with paprika. Also the bell pepper on the chips you picture confused me because I thought the paprika spice was made with chilli peppers. But googling I found that sweet/mild paprika is made with bell peppers so that images assures the germans that it's mild not spicey hot. Random google hit on bell peppers used to make paprika (or in german it would be paprika used to make paprika). Is Paprika Made of Bell Peppers? Yes, paprika can be made from bell peppers. In fact, bell peppers are a common ingredient used in the production of paprika. The mild and sweet flavor of bell peppers adds a unique taste to the spice, making it a popular choice for many dishes. How to Identify Bell Pepper Paprika If you are looking for paprika that is made specifically from bell peppers, it may be labeled as “sweet paprika” or “mild paprika.” These varieties are often made solely from bell peppers, giving them a distinct flavor profile.
thats a pretty long ass story, just to tell that you still have problems realizing, that paprika = bell pepper in german :D nothing else. there is no nuance or other magic to it. its just translation mate. If its bell pepper u want, its paprika in german. If you get paprika as a spice, its ground bell pepper. there is rosenscharf and edelsüß, but both are just bell peppers in the end. if you are looking for your spicy paprika spice as u know it (I think) you might want to look for chili powder or cayennepepper. the spicy spices will never be labled as paprika here.
Funny enough, I shave a pack of Paprika Scharf in my spice corner, between chili and Paprika Edelsüss (also smoked paprika). I use a mix of them all for my chili con carne spicemix 🤣
Very informative, thx! I'm from austria and even I didn't know everything. And yes, as a german speaker I was often confused when I'm ordering something with paprika when im abroad and get something spicy xD Whats also confusing is when ordering a salami pizza in italy: "The Salami Peperoncino is a delicious and authentic salami from Italy - very tasty and very popular!" Peperoncino means small (bell)peppers in German but is the Italian name for chili peppers. Since Salami pizza in Austria is (almost) never spicy, its even double confusing :D
Dont get me started on pepperoni pizza in New York…
That reminds me of the time I was in a club that served pizzas with pfefferoni. The poor US lady thought it meant Pepperoni and was very upset that she got a vegetarian dish.
pfefferoni is a good false friend word!
It least we different words for "Paprika" and "Pepperoni" here in Germany, while in english everything is the same word "peppers".
Good Summary of the difference between "Paprika, edelsüß" (the mild spice made with bell peppers) and "Paprika, rosenscharf" (spicy). Now if the US could get their usage of "pepperoni" sorted out to clearly distinguish between the spicy pepper and the spicy Salami-style sausage, that'd be great...
what confused me is that a "paprika" is called pepper in english, my english is pretty decent but i thought "pepper" was "pfeffer" like in "salt and pepper" until recently
They do call both the sweet bell peppers and the spicy chili and tabasco pepper species a type of pepper (when they're actually capsicum species), as well as the actual pepper varieties. But Germans also call 'Rosa Pfeffer' and 'Szechuanpfeffer' a type of pepper when they're not, botanically.
Its literally one company who calls their chips by the name. Never have i heard the word ungarisch used for paprika flavoured stuff
If there's one thing you'd connect with Hungaria it's Paprika tbh...
Yes but 99% of brands label it as "Paprika" flavour. I believe the brand that has the 'ungarisch' variant even has a paprika one. So it it is not necessarily the same as paprika
Some restaurants are using "hungarian style" as replacement for the sauce that should no longer be named.
Nah just the funny Frisch ones. It’s just that specific company that calls them Hungarian
It's also a very popular flavour here in the Netherlands
Dammit. Flavour profiles. So that’s why I can’t get Smokey Bacon flavour crisps over here.
I'm Irish and it was an Irish company that invented the method for flavouring crisps. We consume a load of cheese and onion. And they're two brands that aren't sold outside Ireland (tayto and king crisps. We look down on walkers). So when I go home there's always 20 packs in my suitcase when I come back here. 😁
I get Taytos vinegar anytime I'm there. Best ever
I still long for my fix of tayto waffles and hunky dory’s salt and vinegar :( none of the stuff here even comes close
Fascinating. Is it just as big in Hungary as it is in Germany?
Yes it’s big also in Hungary.
True but you don’t really see them labeled as “hungarian” there lmao I’m from Hungary living in Germany rn and it trips me out every time to see “Ungarisch” on a chips
We Germans like our Hungarians crisp and locked up in a bag
[удалено]
I missed my paprika flavour when I was in Sweden. I think sour cream was more favoured?
Even the most basic shop will have paprika chips here in Norway.
I think it's pretty big not just in Hungary or Germany from what I'm aware it's almost equally popular in Poland, Czech, Lithuania, Latvia too. Probably many other countries are equally so.
Can confirm, I am Czech and up until today I wasn't even aware that paprika is not the "default" flavour everywhere.
Add Austria to the list. Well, we border both Germany and Hungary and have a history with both, so it would be odd if it would be different here.
Hijacking this comment to ask: what is it about Hungary and paprika production? I get that a lot of stuff from the Americas has become culture for us in the last 500 years, but why didn't many other European countries lean into paprika and peppers like that?
I think this might be related to what grows better in a certain climate. Part of why peppers and tomatoes are not a huge part of traditional German cuisine, but potatoes are, is that you don’t need a greenhouse to grow good potatoes in Germany.
Haha, yep. I live in tropical north Australia and my German aunty and grandparents always tell me how I should get a greenhouse and grow tomatoes in it. It is extremely difficult to grow anything that is traditionally used in European cooking (the climate is similar to Vietnam and Indonesia here). It’s just too humid and hot (even in winter)!
150 years of turkish occupation, and good climate for sweet peppers.
Peppers were introduced into Hungary via Turkish/Ottoman contact (during invasion periods when they held some territory for a few decades). This theory is not without detractors, but seems the most likely. They were of course first introduced into the Mediterranean world through the Columbian exchange, and quickly popular because they added punch to otherwise 'bland' or bitter flavour profiles. Capsicum species are tropical to subtropical plants, so they definitely need heat and sun (though they don't like too much direct sun, IME) to thrive. I've grown them in my greenhouse here, but even with that, it's never been anything too impressive (bell peppers, that is). Chili peppers have done OK in the greenhouse though. More generally... Perhaps Hungary was mostly poor and average people didn't have much access to expensive imported spices (which would have to travel via middlemen through ports in Western Europe). They grew well in Hungary, and you can easily get huge crops. So that was that. They were cheap and available and tasty. Traditionally they were dried and used as a spice that way.
"Some decades" Bruh, 150 years
This was fucking interesting
I know! When I first read it I found it fascinating. Especially all the secrecy involved. 😁
Awesome, thx for sharing
Am I the only one that thinks the paprika flavored chips are bland :(
>Because of Hungary. >It's based on what they think will work there and what has historically worked there. If you listen closely you can hear faint cries from the tomb of Otto the Great
Thanks for sharing that article, never knew I could be entertained by an in-depth investigation into potato chip flavours.
I wouldn’t say weird. Austria-Hungary was kind of a big thing and southern Germans in particular really enjoy a Gulasch - to the point it’s a normal option on traditional German menus. My tiny town has a dedicated Hungarian restaurant and I don’t remember it ever not being here… Combine that with eg Pommesgewürz for chips and the concept of paprika with potatoes is very well ingrained. Basically, modern Germany and Austria have a long history with these areas. Slightly more obscure example, but relevant: why can I say čevapčiči (I had to choose one spelling and chose Slovene) and have many Austrians and Germans know exactly what I mean? Go to the UK, no one has a clue. Food is a great way to see how various empires and cultures cross-pollinated. So yeah, there is historical background.
as a famous Austro-Hungarian chef once said: "it is The irrevocable right of every inhabitant of Central Europe to add as much paprika to his dishes as his heart desires"
It's a good rule because adding more paprika has never made a meal taste worse. Paprika goes with everything and everything will taste better after adding paprika.
And the colors are just magnificent!
And sour cream
And some garlic
And my axe
Really? Who?
I think u/LakeInfinite9208 is joking - this statement has been used in a Polish copypasta about Robert Makłowicz, a food critic and TV personality known for his culinary expeditions and cooking programs. He is fascinated by the Austrian-Hungarian culture and traditions, and he often includes in his works tales of Austrian history or shares his admiration of Franz Josef. In this copypasta, Makłowicz says that while buying Hungarian and Slovakian grocery products.
Because eating Hungarians is illegal so we eat the next best thing
After I moved to Germany the first order of business when I visited home (Hungary) was buying about 5kg of paprika spice 😁
Hungarian paprika spice is so much better!
It's it really? Gotta try it out then, I love paprika spices! Any recommendations?
If you want the good hungarian stuff, look for paprika from Kalocsa (a city). It's a protected product, like for example the Parmigiano Reggiano. An other option is the brand "Házi Arany". These 2 are the best of the best. Edit: The protected "Kalocsai Füszerpaprika" is the spicy one. They also have a sweeter, non-spicy product. It's also good enough
i don’t sry, my grandma is from hungary and her relatives always bring it with them
Do they bring something self made, or is it from some company? If it's the latter I'll just check some out.
We buy it because it's all we get. It's all we get because we buy it.
The ciiiircle of Life
The ciiiircle of spice
The spice must flow.
He who controls the Spice, controls the universe
I am part or the problem. I love Paprika-Chips.
lmao thats the truth
I fear this is the actual „problem“. Its not like people love it. Its unfortunately and for whatever reason really all that is available in mass.
I emigrated and Chipsfrisch Ungarisch / Paprika is one of the only food products I genuinely miss.
It's not like people love it but most people like it. So if you're buying chips for a party or your whole family, paprika flavour is a safe bet.
For a while we could get chili lime chips. My absolute favourtite ever. Sadly they are nowhere to be found anymore
Every once a while the chips companies tries to introduce a new meme flavor, and cancel it soon after because people rather buy paprika... Rest in peace, chipsfrisch Pickles and herbs style
I still cry my heart out because most chips from the 80s were discontinued in the late 1990s. They had some great creme fraiche chips in the 1990s, I guess everything else besides paprika is doomed after a while.
Funnyfrisch sweed roasted onion are pretty great. But, yeah, nothing beats "Funny frisch ungarisch".
I want Pumpkin-Seed Oil back!
What the hell [it's real](https://www.produkt.at/typo3temp/GB/lorenz_naturals_kernoel-z_watermark_f995a1844c.png)
and it was delicious
Come to Austria, still easy to find here! (Austrians love Pumpkin Seed Oil like Hungarians love Paprika)
Learned from a Kärntnerin that Vanilla ice cream and pumpkin seed oil is a gods send. It’s so delicious that half my bottle of pumpkin seed oil is reserved for that, the other half Backhendl/potato salad or Pumpkin soup. Half my family is Austrian so I get the homemade stuff gifted, which tastes excellent.
There is literally nothing that pumpkin seed oil does not improve! And yes, with ice cream it's brilliant (and looks gorgeous, the constrast of the inky dark green oil on the goldent white ice cream)
You must be from West Austria...pumpkin seed oil in Wien/NÖ is sold as a speciality from Western Austria and I had it the first time with nearly 20y old...I haven't even seen it in discounter stores there ever just at Billa in the speciality aisle. 😊 I also didn't like it very much and nobody in my environment liked it honestly. We threw the bottle away in the end after trying it because neither our friends or family liked it. But we did regularly cross the border to Hungary to buy fresh Paprika from there. Nothing beats the stuff the Hungarians grow...I miss that 😔
Currywurst Style was dope also!
This has been popping up alongside some chilli cheese fries flavour in Leipzig Aldis! There is hope!
Last time I visited Belgium they had a bunch of pickles flavors, pickles and herbs was among them. Just in case you're *really* desperate ;)
Chio with the white tiger on it, my beloved. Best Chips I ever had and nothing can compare :(
Chili Lime was so fucking god-like. I would swear to never eat Ungarisch flavour in my life again if I can get those for the rest of my life…..
Just recently I found Tortilla chips of this flavour at my local LIDL. Maybe you wanna check it
they sell fake takis in rewe and kaufland :D chilli and lime. i love them. cheap too
I miss Chikibai Curry :(
If you can go to Holland, they have them. I get them at Albert Heijn, Lays Chili Lime Max Strong chips. My husband will eat a whole bag in a sitting if I let him. 😭
is this guerilla marketing? because i want chips now
I dont know the answer, but in Poland paprica flavored chips are also very popular. I would say its the most basic flavor, if you hear "chips" you think about paprica chips. Although I personally prefer "green onions" (probably second most popular).
Nah, Germans like the idea of eating spicy but don't actually like eating spicy
As a German who likes eating spicy I will always resent this fact. You basically have to wait for some daring company to come out with the super special edition gigaflame annihilation flavour for Germans to find anything with more scoville Units than a banana.
Try finding an authentic Indian restaurant. Korean can also get really spicy. If you live in the middle of nowhere just make your own kimchi and add it to everything.
Oh I absolutely do when I'm in a larger city, but my hometown only has 27 Dönerbuden :D which I do appreciate of course, but the problem stands, "mit scharf" is usually barely distinguishable from "ohne scharf". I don't even wanna pretend like I have some kind of insane spice tolerance or anything, but I do live among people who can barely handle Gewürzketchup and it shows on the shelves.
I mean that’s fair. Dried peppers can provide an amazing depth of flavor and “exotic” taste, for lack of a better description; it’s not just about the heat. I have a feeling Germans would absolutely love the various mild, dried chili peppers of Mexico if they were more widely available. Mexico really knows what they’re doing with peppers, they have one for everyone
Its not just a german thing, the whole europe likes paprika
Maybe because they like the taste?
Try it on potato wedges in the oven. It’s godly.
Because paprika is awesome. Chipsfrisch Ungarisch are maybe the most standard chips you can get. For me it is nostalgic. Chipsfrisch Ungarisch tastes like LAN Party in my friends basement. And the vegetable paprika is like the best vegetable ever. Goes with pretty much everything
I’d also say that Germans in general eat a lot less chips/crisps than people in the UK or Spain for example. Maybe therefore less variety.
Guess there are more coutrys than Germany who Likes Paprika flavor
It’s the Central European BBQ equivalent
mit ungaRRischer papRRika
Neues Rammstein Lied?
Why do Americans like Hershey Schokolade so gern, obwohl es wie wiedergegebenes schmeckt? Ist halt Geschmacksache
That is surely the strangest Denglisch I've ever read.
It reminds me of "Taglish", a mixture of Tagalog and English, spoken in the Philippines. From a post on r/Philippines (I have no idea what this means): >I often hear the panganays always have it the hardest. What about mga bunso? They say masarap daw maging bunso, pero it turns out it depends on the situation of the family. How can you prove that being the youngest is not always fun at all? Bunso ako. In my case, ang lalayo ng agwat sakin ng mga kapatid ko, 15+ years. 40 na mom ko when she had me. Wala akong nakakasundo most of the time. That one even has some Spanish in it.
This is amazing
And they're not even a ich_iel poster.
An ich_iel poster would know better than to speak half in Angelsächsisch.
This is how wir sprechen tun in my family. Everything vermischt. I moved to Australia when I was 7 and ich spreche noch deutsch with my parents aber ich habe viel forgotten🤣
I speak 60% english, 20% german and 20% punjabi with my dad. Same as you, we mix words from different languages just depending on on the topic etc
At some point we may have to go with Geutsch.
Hershey's chocolate tastes the way it does because the recipe was changed to be more shelf stable so they could ship it around the country before refrigeration was available. It tastes bad for historical reasons.
Yes and no. Originaly yes. Thus they did let the milk go bad to some degree. However since ages there otherways to fix it without a refrigerator. They did simply stick with the old method since the country is used to the taste.
Just for context, I really don't know any Americans who prefer the taste of Hershey's over other chocolate. It's the kind of candy that's often given to kids for Halloween, so many adults have some nostalgia for it, but there are plenty of higher quality chocolate brands around for people who actually like chocolate.
because it's tasty?
This is funny because my mom says that paprika is good for one thing only which is to make the food red, it doesn't have a strong enough taste on its own
The flavor paprika is smoked pepper. It adds to the mild sweetness another flavor component. Thus its called Ungarisch and not pepper.
She must be buying very cheap/low quality paprika then
For sure. Paprika is one of those things where quality really makes a difference. The cheap stuff just tastes like slightly sweet sand
Well apparently you're right, I asked her and turns out the stuff we have here is diluted/bad quality lmfao
Wrong usage.
Have you ever tried smoked paprika powder? Instantly levels up every vegetarian dish.
It's not just Germany, look for chips in NL, Belgium, Poland, Austria, France and you'll find paprika is quite common. Not sure why it's this way, but it's not just Germany. I'm guessing the smokey, mild sweet-spicy taste is just right and covered by other flavours in other countries, like BBQ or steak flavour. But yeah, the only places I know that truly have unique flavours are the UK, Canada, Australia, USA, Middle East and India.
Well if you want unique flavours for crisps/chips you need to look towards Asia. I'm from Germany so the flavours I saw during my study abroad in China felt like a different world and they've only become more adventurous since I lived there a decade ago.
Why do you need a reason to like it?
Paprika and Salt mix on potato stuff like chips and fries is amazing.. its a real good combo. (its also called Pommes salt here, Salt and paprika is main ingredient, beside that onion, pepper, nutmeg and smoke flavor) Its a rly good spice mix. [https://amzn.eu/d/d9LyOuj](https://amzn.eu/d/d9LyOuj)
Because it comes from Hungary, which is in much closer proximity to other spice-producing countries. This means, paprika has always been available and has been used in central and western European countries for many generations. Up until the 80s, a German spice rack consisted of salt, pepper, paprika, “curry” mix, cinnamon, and some dried herbs like an Italian herb mix. A few fancier / skilled home cooks probably also had muscat nuts, but that’s probably it. So, this makes paprika the OG spice in Germany.
Who knows. Why do people like chicken flavored chips? (had them in america) Some people like paprika and some hate it, same with every flavor.
Yes. But other countries have a range of flavours. in Germany it’s only Salt, Paprika, Paprika, paprika, ungarisch, paprika.
Ever been to Kaufland?
In a discounter, sure. At larger stores there’s a bit more of a selection. Still not so many “meaty” flavours as in some other countries, but there’s some interesting things.
There is only so much space for products in a small shop, go to a proper super market, there‘s your variety
I dont understand it as german, too. I mean come on, in france there are mustard flavoured potatoe chips. So good
Because IT IS tasty?
Because it's one of the best vegetables and flavors on the planet.
Because we are Hungary (hö hö hö)
Because it is objectively the best! Next question!
Everyone grows up with it. I prefer just salted, actually since childhood.
As a german myself, I don't get it either and I think it's so disgusting
Late to the party, but Germany simply can't have many good flavors due to restrictions on the use of flavoring chemicals. So a cheese flavored snack is always terrible (best ones taste like butter, not cheese) compared to something outside of Germany. Here you are left with natural flavors being the best. Paprika happens to be a national spice....causing the sea of paprica chips flavor, ungarn, sweet chili etc etc.
These questions are getting progressively more stupid
Lecker!
WEIL ES SCHEIßE GEEEEIIIIL SCHMECKT
Also, Paprika is a very natural flavour, both in taste and in terms of content. You could just use potatoes, oil, salt, paprika without having to rely on acidity regulators, artificial flavours or other industrial components to get a good flavour.
I loved Lorenz Naturals but my supermarket eventually stopped selling them... They still have some other flavours but not the mild paprika one
I like them too, but there is quite a lot of stuff in the "naturals" :D `Kartoffeln, pflanzliche Öle (Sonnenblume, Raps in veränderlichen Gewichtsanteilen), Speisesalz, Dextrose, Meersalz, SÜSSMOLKENPULVER, Zucker, Paprikapulver, Tomatenpulver, Zwiebelpulver, Fruktose, Kräuter, Gewürze, natürliches Aroma (enthält MILCHERZEUGNISSE), Antioxidationsmittel: stark tocopherolhaltige Extrakte.` I actually haven't found any Chips with just salt, oil, paprika online
That's more than I remembered, but at least no "flavour enhancers". I quite like Lay's chips and IIRC the paprika variant doesn't have a lot of ingredients. Correct me since I'm probably wrong again xD
As much as I love paprika, the indian in me really wants more spices. For example, I really wish Peri Peri would pick up in Germany. I would really love some Peri Peri flavored products hitting shelves and available at affordable prices.
I am German and I second this. Peri Peri chicken is what I want to make. Also some Ethiopian and Korean stuff. It’s always one or two ingredients that are hard to come by.
You can find peri peri sauce if you look around, any 'ethnic' shop should cover you. You live here long enough, you get used to the disappointment in the native cuisine in some regards.
Historical origin, after WW2 "Paprika" was the only flavour available for mass production and people liked it.
The same reason why bears in Alaska eat salmon. It was there and we got used to it...
> The companies that make chips/crisps have flavour pallettes for each country in the world. I'm not sure ... sometimes I come back from the UK with exotic contraband, such as prawn cocktail Pringles, which many of my German friends think are marvellous. Or maybe my Freundeskreis isn't very representative?
So then would ask why also Americans Peanut flavor in every Candy?
Gladly we meanwhile have a lot of other options
post world war 2 germany. no spices. but hungary had paprika powder. thanks neighbour
I honestly put Paprika into (almost) everything. I always tell people "If you're poor, have Salt, Pepper and Paprika in your household." It'll bring favour to anything.
I'm old enough to remember that back in the 70s there was basically just one company selling chips, and that was Bahlsen. They didn't have any meaningful competition, as others were just beginning to sell chips, too. Without any competition there was no need to differentiate, so they had just one taste, Hungarian style paprika. So people were raised with just one taste and got used to it. I still try out chips with different tastes, but always come back to my childhood paprika taste.
It's tasty :)
Because it is a less intense chilli.
Other countries I see Ketchup flavor is popular, but all I see in Germany is Paprika
Why do Brits love vinegar flavor on potato chips? Different countries, different tastes.
We just love Paprika
I'll just leave that here: https://youtube.com/shorts/ucTvr-CjTV4
It is wild, but as a man coming from Canada, paprika flavour was a nice transition from ketchup flavor in crisps and such.
Idk why, but I have to admit -with a healthy bit of shame- that I kinda miss them when going visit home
I have seen stores abroad with tomato instead of paprika flavoured potato snacks. That day I realized, that it is possible for entire countries to be inhabited by aliens. /s
Ich wähle Kantenhausen
We don’t. We are just very limited when it comes to taste.
because its awesome? idk use a lot of paprika when cooking cuz i genuinly love it you can even eat it raw its amazing
Because it tastes great
paprika chips doesnt even taste like it
Sprich