BULLETIN 43, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



COLOR. 



The color desired in paprika is a bright red, not too pale and 

 not too brownish in tinge. As the red coloring matter is found in 

 the outer wall of the fruit, this part (" shell , ') Avhen ground sepa- 

 rately gives the lightest red color. Since, however, the shells when 

 so ground give a dry powder which tends to fly about when used, some 

 prefer the pods ground with the seeds. The seeds contain a large 



amount of a fatty oil, 

 in which the red col- 

 oring matter is solu- 

 ble, and this oil gives 

 a slight stickiness to 

 the powder, making 

 it less dusty in use, 

 brightening and 

 deepening the color, 

 and also aiding in 

 bringing out its aro- 

 matic properties. The 

 seeds, with the seed 

 coats and other tis- 

 sues present, intro- 

 duce into the powder 

 a pale brownish tinge, 

 which to a consider- 

 able extent modifies 

 the action of the oil 

 present in brighten- 

 ing the color of the 

 powder. 



The color is influ- 

 enced to a consider- 

 able degree by the 

 fineness of the powder. In general, the finer the powder the brighter 

 and lighter the color. 



PUNGENCY. 



The degree of pungency present is an important characteristic of 

 paprika. To those accustomed to the very mild Spanish paprika 

 (he Hungarian article is rather strongly pungent. This quality has 

 been found by chemists to be due to a crystalline substance of some- 

 what doubtful chemical character, known as capsaicin (C H 14 O 2 ). 

 This substance occurs in the papery pale-reddish or yellowish tissues 

 of the placenta?. The seeds, which are attached in a crowded ar- 



Fig. 3. — Dried American paprika peppers of desirable type. 

 (Two-thirds natural size.) 



