Alma Paprika

Sweet with fruity and mild earthy undertones; crisp texture when fresh, developing deeper, richer, almost caramelized notes when dried and ground into paprika.

Alma Paprika is a Hungarian heirloom Capsicum annuum variety whose name means 'apple paprika' in Hungarian, referring to its round shape. Peppers are small, squat, globe- to slightly flattened cherry-type fruits averaging 5–8 cm across with thick walls, smooth shiny skin, and many lobes. They ripen from creamy white or pale yellow-green through orange to vibrant red. The flavor is sweet and fruity with mild earthy notes and subtle heat (typically 1,000–3,000 SHU) that becomes slightly more pronounced at full ripeness. Plants are compact and highly productive. The variety is prized both for fresh eating and as one of the traditional peppers dried and ground into high-quality sweet to mildly hot paprika powder central to Hungarian cuisine such as goulash and paprikás. It was introduced to Hungary via Ottoman trade routes in the 16th–17th centuries and selectively bred in the Kalocsa and Szeged paprika districts.

Alma Paprika traces its roots to peppers brought from the Americas to Europe in the 15th–16th centuries. It was introduced to Hungary by Turkish traders in the 16th–17th centuries, initially grown as an ornamental before selective breeding in the Kalocsa and Szeged regions emphasized its round shape, thick walls, vibrant color, and mild flavor for paprika production, which became central to Hungarian cuisine by the 19th century.