Szeged paprika powder Category: Hungaricum
Mo o: „Blood of Szeged”
(Sándor Bálint)
Paprika
Red, like blood, its taste can be spicy, sweet, hot. Its colour can be green and red, its form can be straight, sharp, rough… You can eat a lot but it isn't harmful, it is healthy food, rich in vitamins. You can eat it raw or in soups, stew or stuffed. You can make it in a lot of versions.
Guess what!? This is paprika. You can know why it is so unique. Keep reading!
Did you know?
1. Probably, Turkish merchants brought paprika into Hungary.
2. It has been growing in Europe since the 16th century.
3. In Szeged, Franciscans started to grow paprika.
4. High hours of sunlight helps its growing.
5. It helps curing rheuma c illnesses and fever.
6. Till 1940, Hungarian paprika was naturally hot.
7. Meaning of “paprika-spli ng”: cu ng out the hot veins.
8. Capsaicin causes the hotness of the paprika.
9. A er World War II, delicate paprika was produced by breeding.
10. In the interwar period, 10000 people grew paprika in Szeged and in its surroundings.
11. Szeged paprika is one of the main spices of the Hungarian cuisine (food seasoned with paprika, goulash, stew, fish soup, salami).
12. Typical method of its drying was to dry paprika garlands on the walls of the houses.
13. It contains a lot of important vitamins (A, B1, B2, C, P).
13+1. Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel-prized professor discovered vitamin C in paprika. Story of paprika
Paprika in La n: Capsicum annuum L.
Sándor Bálint, an ethnographer in Szeged said paprika is the blood of Szeged. The word “paprika” emerged in Hungary in the first half of the 18th century (from 1748, it was also appeared in dic onaries). Paprika is a diminu ve of the Serbian and Croa an word “papar” (meaning pepper). Paprika is also known as: törökbors, indiai bors, vörös törökbors, pogánybors, pipárka…
The origin of paprika
The original home of paprika is: South-Mexico, Central America and the An lles. It was also used as medicine and spice by the Peruvians. Christopher Colombus met paprika during his expedi on in the land of Indians. This is why, paprika is also called as Indian pepper.
From the 16th century, it spread as an ornamental plan in Europe and it also reached Hungary from Turkish Empire.
Appearance in Hungary:
The first no ce of its Hungarian appearance was in the garden of Margit Széchy where paprika was grown as red pepper. Firstly, it was an ornament of aristocra c gardens, later from the 18th century, it became spice, probably owing to Bulgarian gardeners who se led in the Hungarian Plain.
In Szeged:
Owing to the Franciscan cloister, paprika spread in Szeged. Franciscans healed and taught people in their huge missionary fields during the Turkish occupa on of Hungary. Franciscans garden was far- famed from their herbs, trees, exo c plants. Thanks to them, paprika spread in the surroundings. The first recorded use of the word paprika in Szeged is from 1748. Till the early 19th century, it was grown in family farms, later also in big, co-opera ve farms. Among the districts of Szeged, it spread mainly in Alsóváros and Röszke, Szentmihály, Horgos, Alsótanya.
A szegedi tájkörzethez tartoznak az alábbi települések: Algyő, Ambrózfalva, Apá alva, Árpád-halom, Áso halom, Baks, Balástya, Bordány, Csanádpalota, Csanytelek, Csengele, Csikóspuszta, Csongrád, Derekegyháza, Deszk, Dóc, Domaszék, Eperjes, Fábiánsebestyén, Felgyő, Ferenc-szállás, Forráskút, Földeák, Hódmezővásárhely, Királyhegyes, Kistelek, Kiszombor, Klárafalva, Kövegy, Kútvölgy, Kübekháza, Magyarcsanád, Makó, Maroslele, Mártély, Mindszent, Mórahalom, Nagyér, Nagylak, Nagymágocs, Óföldeák, Ópusztaszer, Ö ömös, Pitvaros, Pusztaszer, Rákos, Röszke, Rúzsa, Sándorfalva, Szatymaz, Szeged, Szegvár, Székkutas, Szentes, Tiszasziget, Tompahát, Tömörkény, Újszen ván, Üllés, Zákányszék, Zsombó Csanádalber , Csanádapáca, Further informa on:
You can read more about its history in Szeged: –http://szegedma.hu/hir/szeged/2011/08/szegedikumok- %E2%80%93-a-szegedi-paprika-fotok-video.html#more-142345
“Valuable” paprika
Tricks in Szeged:
The plants were grown in the leeward gardens and during the plan ng of paprika in the end of May/beginning of June, children couldn't go to school because the whole family took part in the pla ng. Later, when paprika grew bigger, it was hacked backwards, in order not to trample down the cul vated area.
Watering, carrying water were the tasks of men. Harves ng paprika started on 8th September on the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first harvest was the most valuable, the second was lighter and smaller so separate garlands were made from them. If autumn was long, paprika could be harvested for the third me. The paprika market was on Square Valéria (now: Square Bartók) in Szeged.
Valuable paprika species:
Valued paprika species as source material: Bíbor, Bolero, Délibáb, Fesz vál, Folklor, Kárminvörös, Mihálytelki, Napfény, Remény, Rubinvörös, Sláger, Szegedi F-03 (hot), Szegedi nem csípős 57-13, Szegedi 178 (hot), Szegedi 179 (hot), Szegedi 20, Szegedi 80, Viktória, Zuhatag
Beneficial result:
It flavours meat, promotes diges on, it helps curing rheuma c illnesses and fever. The surroundings of Szeged, the valley of River Tisza are especially suitable for growing paprika: the high hours of sunlight, condi ons of soil, growing experience and experimen ng of the inhabitants of Szeged contributed to the success of paprika, formed the colour, taste and aroma of Szeged paprika. Reputa on:
Albert Szent-Györgyi extracted and discovered vitamin C from paprika during his research in Szeged. He told the story of the discovery: “In the evening, my wife gave me some peppers for dinner. I didn't want to eat them but I wasn't brave enough to tell her. Then, I thought, I have never tried out this plant. I told my wife I took this paprika into my laboratory, rather than ate it. Later that night, I knew, this paprika is rich in vitamin C. A er few weeks, I had 1,5 kg vitamins in my hand; ll then, I had only thousandth grams. I shared it all over the world so everybody knew the exact chemical structure of vitamin C.”
He won the Nobel-prize in 1937 for discovering vitamin C.
Interes ng facts
Preserving tradi ons:
The first paprika fes val was organized in Szeged in 1999, its name was “Csongrád Megyei Paprikasó”. Exhibi ons which promote paprika are organized every year in early October in Szeged: Paprika Days, Szeged Paprika Fes val, Paprika Fes val of Alsóváros. The “Szeged Paprika Ambassador” tle is given in this fes val.
There was a successful Guinness world record in Szeged, 2005. A 697 m long garland was made from 40000 peppers.
Sugges on: Look for paprika mo ves in Szeged or anywhere you go. Send them us! Here is an example from us.
The paprika bell (St. Piroska) of the Church in Szeged, Alsóváros
In 1921, paprika farmers, processors and merchants and local people in Alsóváros gave money for the bell which is 710 kg and its lower circle is 110 cm. It was founded in Budapest by László Szlezák. The former bell was melted in during the World War I for military aims. Its patron saint became Saint Piroska because lot of women were named Piroska in Szeged. For the decora on of the upper part of the bell, paprika mo ves were used, on the lower part, grape mo ves and whales can be seen. On one side, St. Piroska can be seen and below her the following text:
“SAINT PIROSKA PRAY FOR US!” On the other side the following text can be seen:
"A SZEGED ALSÓVÁROSI PAPRIKA TERMELŐK ÉS KERESKEDŐK HARANGJA." ISTEN DICSŐSÉGÉRE ÖNTETTÉK, BACK BERNÁT ÉS NEJE, ÖZV. BÖRCSÖK ISTVÁNNÉ, ÖZV. CSONKA LAJOSNÉ, DEÁK JÁNOS ÉS NEJE, DOBÓ JÁNOS, ÖZV. FARKAS JÓZSEFNÉ ÉS FIAI, GÁRGYÁN JÁNOS ÉS NEJE, ÖZV. KÓRMÁNYOS ANTALNÉ, PÁLFFI DÁNIEL, PEREGI MIHÁLY, MAGYAR OL. BANK SZEGED ALSÓV. FIÓKJA, MÉSZÁROS JÓZSEF ÉS NEJE, SZÉCSI IMRE ÉS CSALÁDJA, SZEGEDI PAPRIKA KIRENDELTSÉG, SZEGEDI HANGYA KIRENDELTSÉG ÉS A SZENTMIHÁLYTELKI HIVEK. SZLEZÁK LÁSZLÓ HARANGÖNTŐ ÁLTAL BUDAPEST 1921."
In 2005, the bell cracked and thanks to dona ons it was re-founded by Miklós Gombos. The new bell is 750 kg. The old bell can be seen in the visi ng centre in Alsóváros.
Recommended link: http://frh.theol.u-szeged.hu/regi/jubi/erdekes/harangok/harang.doc.html Links
List of companies which deal with processing, selling and research of paprika: http://fuszerpaprika.com/ http://fuszerpaprikakutato.hu/ http://hu.kotanyi.com/ http://kuruczpaprika.hu/farkaspaprika/ http://www.paprikamolnar.hu/ http://www.rubinpaprika.hu Links: http://www.hungarikum.hu/ertek/1c2c6797a517ce070ea80bf004ee722f87c0a486 – www.latogatobarat.hu – www.napsugarashaz.hu – www.paprikamolnar.hu – www.pickmuzeum.hu – www.opusztaszer.hu – [email protected]
The tradi ons connected to Szeged paprika are preserved and presented by many organisa ons in many places in Csongrád county:
Museums: Móra Ferenc Museum, Szeged Ópusztaszer Na onal Heritage Park, Village museum: Szeged-alsóvárosi paprikatermelő háza Paprika Park in Röszke: PaprikaMolnár Ltd. Processor and Museum Franciscan Church in Szeged, Alsóváros and Franciscan Visitor Centre Tradi onal Rural House Museum in Alsóváros Pick Salami and Szeged Paprika Museum.
Research centre: Na onal Agricultural Research and Innova on Centre, Vegetable Crop Research Department, Research Sta on in Szeged
Event: Paprika Fes val in Szeged, Alsóváros
Resources:
HÍR Magyarország hagyományos és tájjellegű mezőgazdasági és élelmiszer-ipari termékeinek g y ű j t e m é n y e , I . k ö t e t . Európai Bizo ság, Kérelem közzététele a mezőgazdasági termékek és élelmiszerek földrajzi jelzéseinek és eredetmegjelöléseinek oltalmáról szóló 510/2006/EK tanácsi rendelet 6. cikkének (2) bekezdése alapján: „Szegedi fűszerpaprika-őrlemény” vagy „szegedi paprika” termékleírás.
Bálint Sándor: A Szegedi fűszerpaprika, Budapest, 1962.
Bálint Sándor: A szögedi nemzet, Szeged 1977
Csonka Ferenc-Váradi Géza: A szegedi paprika és a szegedi paprikakereskedelem, Szeged, 1905
Seres József: A röszkei paprikások társadalma, Szeged, 1948
Péter László (szerk.): Röszke földje és népe, Röszke, 1996 myApps.hu (mobil alkalmazás): A Szegedi paprika nyomában