hvac access panel ceiling

As you’ve undoubtedly seen, we’ve returned, friends, to the mystical realm of Chinese condiments—i.e. SAUCE. Now that we’ve conquered the elusive Homemade Chili Oil and Ginger Scallion Oil (I believe the terms “elixir of life” and “condiment of the gods” were bandied about by some…), we can move on to more complicated and lesser known sauces. One such concoction is Chiu Chow sauce, which, in a nutshell, is chili oil gone hog wild. Those folks in Chiu Chow China really know what they’re doing!

Those who love Korean cuisine probably already know this next backup. Gochugaru powder is better known in the US as ground Korean chili powder. This famous Asian condiment is loved for its sweet and spicy taste with a subtle smoky note, making it a nice paprika alternative. It’s also prized for its color which adds a bright red hue to dishes like tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cake) and yukgaejang (spicy beef soup).

 Use La Vera Smoked Sweet Paprika to make tapas like patatas bravas—roasted potatoes with a seasoned aioli—or artichokes simmered in garlic sauce. It’s wonderful in Spanish style stews, on roasted chicken or fish, and in a classic Spanish romesco sauce, blended from tomatoes and bell peppers and thickened with bread and almonds.  

While the smoked variant is the responsible ingredient for the smoky flavor in many recipes, sweet paprika gives your dishes a fruity, sweet and slightly bitter flavor with very little to no heat at all. If you happen to spot the usual bottle that just says paprika, that’s most likely the regular or sweet variant.

Paprika: Paprika offers a more nuanced flavor profile that spans from sweet to smoky to hot. Sweet paprika imparts a mild, slightly sweet taste, while smoked paprika adds a smoky depth. Hot paprika, on the other hand, brings the heat without overwhelming the palate.

To recreate the spice of hot paprika, the best substitute is another dried chilli, like ground cayenne, aleppo pepper powder, crushed red pepper flakes, red chilli powder, or even a dash of hot sauce. If your recipe calls for smokiness and sweetness, try chipotle chilli powder or ancho pepper powder. Chipotle powder has a smoky taste, but is hotter than paprika with a more earthy flavour, lending itself to barbecue sauces, rubs and chillis. Due to the difference in heat, use a ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder for every teaspoon of paprika and adjust depending on your taste buds.

If you’re looking to replicate the flavour of sweet paprika add a pinch of sugar or some honey. Adding mild chilli powder or tomato powder works too. Bell peppers are another great substitute for sweet paprika and they come from the same Capsicum annuum family. Mild, sweet and aromatic, bell peppers give the same delicious taste and aroma, while adding a splash of colour too. When buying your bell peppers, make sure they’re nice and ripe.

One of the best substitutes for paprika is cayenne pepper. It’s a spicy chilli pepper, used to flavour many different cuisines and quite similar in colour. It’s a lot stronger and hotter than paprika, so if you’re using it as a substitute in your cooking, make sure you use a lesser quantity. If you have a lower tolerance to spicy food, you can add salt, cream, chopped tomatoes or more liquid (water or broth) to try and dial down the heat.

Like paprika, chilli powder packs a lot of flavour and is another worthy substitute. It’s also not as spicy as cayenne pepper, so you can use the same quantities.  The same goes for cajun spices. A combination of black and white pepper, plus other herbs and spices, it can work as a good substitute for smoked or sweet paprika, offering a similar flavour. But you won’t get the same beautiful red colour – more of an orange, warm hue.

You can also use cumin instead of paprika. But it’s a lot hotter, so go easy on the quantities. Like cajun spices, you won’t achieve the gorgeous red colour of paprika, as cumin has more of a yellowy-brown colouring, but you’ll still get an earthy flavour with hints of bitterness and sweetness.