Q: Can paprika lose its color and flavor over time? A: Yes, paprika can lose its vibrant color and flavor when exposed to light, heat, and air. Store it in a cool, dark place to maintain its quality.

When Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, he was the first European to have an encounter with any sort of chile pepper plant. He brought the ancestor of all paprika back with him to Europe and specifically to his patrons, the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. The king and queen did not care for their fiery heat and sent them to a monastery to be studied. These monks sent them further along across Spain and Portugal. From there, chile peppers made their way across Europe. Some peppers stayed spicy, like those in Calabria, but other European cultures experimented with their breeding and created the sweet and flavorful varieties of peppers that give us paprika today. 

Chili sauce is really a generic term for any sauce that utilizes chilies, tomato sauce, vinegar (sometimes), sugar, and other spices. The key differentiator from the traditional hot sauce is its thickness. Chili sauce isn’t something you’d sprinkle from a hot sauce dasher bottle. It’s thicker, often more akin to ketchup in flow.