The term paprika can refer to both the whole dried peppers and the ground powder made from them. In some contexts, paprika may specifically refer to the whole dried peppers, while paprika powder refers to the ground spice. However, in most culinary discussions, the terms are used interchangeably to refer to the powdered spice.

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Physical Characteristics

Many aspiring chefs take the question about cayenne and paprika one step further by asking about paprika vs chili powder vs cayenne.

This paprika doesn't really have a distinct flavor like smoked paprika and sweet paprika. After all, its main purpose is to add spiciness to your recipes.

Sweet paprika measures 500 to 1,500 Scoville heat units, making it a very mild pepper indeed. Hotter varieties of paprika can approach 30,000 to 50,000 heat units, which is basically equivalent to pure cayenne pepper. So if your recipe explicitly calls for hot paprika, you could substitute cayenne pepper.