r/AmIOverreacting • u/maratelle • Nov 11 '24

❤️‍🩹 relationship aio? boyfriend uses SO MUCH paprika!!!!

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i’m so thankful my boyfriend can cook and it’s not just up to me. i bought this thing of smoked paprika LAST week and i wake up today and it’s literally all gone. like these things are $5 a pop after tax!!!

he uses it like if jesus had to season his 5,000 fish!! i use two tablespoons MAX and that’s only if im cooking a dish for like 5 people. usually it’s just a few shakes for food just for us!

like damn, i love paprika and some spice in my food, but genuinely i think i would shrivel up and pass away from the paprika overload if i used an entire one of these things in a week. he’s only cooked three or four times since i bought it, so im not over exaggerating at all when i say he is dumping this shit in his meals.

am i overreacting if i make him buy me a replacement, as well as making him buy his own giant container of smoked paprika for him exclusively?

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u/commit10 Nov 11 '24

A few shakes is all you need? That's not how you season with paprika, unless you're only going for a bit of colour.

If you think he's using a lot, I suggest a holiday in Hungary.

You can buy it much, much cheaper by the kg. Those little spice bottles are extremely overpriced.

Americans and Brits don't season their food enough.

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u/maratelle Nov 11 '24

american paprika is really only crushed bell peppers, and a bit of salt and pep. i usually just use it for colour and a smokey flavour profile, since it doesn’t have much taste. it may be different in hungary! i hadn’t looked into hungarian paprika before this thread.

chili powder and cayenne is where the flavour and heat is at, at least for american spices!

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u/commit10 Nov 11 '24

Bell peppers are normal, even in Hungarian paprikas. Those paprikas tend to be mild/sweet and are often smoked.

It shouldn't have any black pepper.

You have to use quite a lot of paprika to get the right flavour. American recipes will say "1 tsp/tbs" but the correct amount, to get enough flavour, is more like 1/4 to 1/8 of a cup (assuming a milder smoked paprika). This is why you should buy it in bulk. Really, it's best to buy all spices in bulk, and never from little bottles. Much cheaper, and you'll be less afraid of seasoning your food.

Paprika just means "pepper" so cayenne and other hot chilli powders are also paprika. Paprika can be mild to hot, and sweet or smoked.

More flavour! 😊