SC - Paprika Dishes

[david friedman]

At 12:30 PM -0500 11/4/97, Varju wrote:
>In a message dated 97-11-04 12:19:39 EST, you write:

><< Is there some bit of documentation that would indicate a post-period
>arrival date for paprika in the Hungary region?>>
>
>This is a long story.  From what I've read the Turks brought paprika to
>Hungary during their rule.

I believe the Hungarians thought capsicum peppers were connected with the
turks, as judged by the name for them; I don't know if they were right.
Consider the possibly analogous cases of "turkeys" and "Indian corn." I
have seen it seriously argued that the latter name was not from the
connection to Amerinds but a misidentification with an "Indian Corn"
mentioned by Pliny.

There is a modern book on peppers (Dewitt, Dave and Gerlach, Nancy, The
Whole Chile Pepper Book, Little, Brown Co., Boston 1990. ) that refers to
Capsicums in Hungary in 1569 in a noblewoman's garden, called "turkish red
pepper." I don't know if they were the particular variety used for paprika,
or how early we have recipes. I have been unable to find any period
Hungarian cookbooks.

David/Cariadoc
http://www.best.com/~ddfr/


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