Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Food info desired:

Yesterday at the grocery store I found a bag of red, yellow and orange peppers, about the size and shape of my thumb for W2000. On the principle that I should buy one of anything new to encourage diversity in this country, I bought one bag even though I don't know what they are.

The bag says: (in Korean) mini paprika
(in English) Red Paprika Product of Korea

Does anyone know what they are?
Does anyone have any good ideas what I can do with them?

VanIslander · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject:

Paprika = paprika pepper

My family on my father's side is Hungarian. Paprika is (a) the spice from red peppers and (b) the red peppers themselves (paprika peppers).

So don't quibble. Unless you want to say Hungarians are wrong too (and other Europeans who use the word the same way).

That said, the thumb-sized peppers you are talking about are mini sweet peppers. They are a hybrid of relatively recent crossbreeding. Just bland enough for general consumption yet rich enough in taste and vitamins to not be a total waste of time.

You can use them like any other capsicums in sandwiches, soups, stews or homemade spice (dry, crush and ground them).

I like to buy a ton of them, add onions and olive oil, and eat them as a salad.

I sometimes spend 30,000 korean won on paprika. They go in about a third of all dishes I make. A hungarian basic.

I think it's time I make chicken paprikash again. Excuse me...

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

VanIslander · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:09 pm Post subject:

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Those are very good peppers, ya ta boy.

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Yeah, enuff with the infernal quibbling already! Twisted Evil

Actually, I thought paprika (in ground or whole pepper form) was a bright orange and really looked & tasted nothing like Korean red gochu (in ground or whole pepper form). So if I understand the thread title, Ya-ta was, without having tried them yet, just wondering if Koreans might be attempting to pass off the same old local stuff as something Europeany and exotic and chichi and imported and wow! and such as that. I think I'd wonder about that too. "Red Paprika Product of Korea" sounds suspicious. Like "Genyoo-wine Tortilla Chip Product of the D.P.R.K."

But I'm still intoxicated from last night, so maybe he's just being a quibbling smarty-pants like the VanMan sed. I don't know. I need more sleep.

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

HapKi · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

capsicums is just the scientific name for peppers...

HapKi · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL

uhh...yeah...I knew that. Rolling Eyes

Alexandra · Joined: 08 Sep 2005 Location: Ilsan

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:49 am Post subject:

tzechuk, capsicum isn't "just" the genus name in science for peppers, it's also a commonly-used word on the streets and tv of part of the English-speaking world.

Alexandra · Joined: 08 Sep 2005 Location: Ilsan

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:27 am Post subject:

I don't know proper hungarian spelling... "ein apad magyaru" is the closest phonetic spelling I know of to "my father's hungarian".

And as for names, some of those names are for brown peppers and yellow/orangy kinds too, not just red, at least how my Hungarian family members have used them around me.

Alexandra, your main point we both agree: "paprikas" are peppers of several colours, not just the red ones. I was responding to this thread's title. As a Hungarian, or at least someone who can write and read the language, how else do you cook paprikas while in Korea? (other than in kinds of goulash and chicken paprikash)

Alexandra · Joined: 08 Sep 2005 Location: Ilsan