Aside from making a great replacement for the smoked type, ancho chili powder also makes for a great sweet paprika substitute because of its sweet flavor that is similar to the taste of raisins.

Orange bell peppers are a cross between red and yellow bell peppers. They have a sweet, mild flavor and a bright orange color. Orange bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Crushed Red Pepper:

How to make paprika at home

The big difference between these two mixtures is the consistency. Sauces such as hot sauces are more liquid than pastes. It is meant to lightly coat food and even enhance the taste of the food instead of covering it up with its taste. Pastes meanwhile are thicker, more viscous, and more concentrated. It’s common to see pastes such as sriracha spread onto food in a light layer instead of being allowed to coat it.  

In addition to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, curcumin has also been shown to have anti-cancer effects. Studies have found that curcumin can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and even induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in certain types of cancer. While more research is needed in this area, the potential of curcumin as a natural cancer treatment is promising.

Having said this, something as beneficial as capsaicin does not come without any trade-offs. Producing capsaicin takes a lot of energy, which is why some peppers are not spicy. In some cases it makes more sense to make a lot of fruit with less or no capsaicin, thus producing more seed, and getting offspring by overwhelming predators and plagues by sheer volume.