Good question on paprika.

There really is a difference in the spice. All paprika is made from a certain kinds of red peppers. The stuff simply labeled paprika is very mild and maybe a little sweet. It's used most often as a garnish. Hungarian Paprika comes hot or sweet and is available at gourmet foods stores. The hot, as expected, is spicy. The sweet has more flavor than the regular jarred variety. Spanish paprika is made from a different type of pepper and has a paler color than the usual paprika. Finally, smoked paprika is available, too. The peppers are smoked before being ground, giving it a smokey flavor (sort of the difference between a jalapeno and a chipotle chili pepper).

Depending on what you are making, you could easily use the paprika from the store. I have used in a pinch, when not having sweet paprika on hand and added a tad of sugar to the spice. If using 3 tsps, I would recommend a nice pinch of superfine sugar, and blend well before adding to your dish.

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