When you think of paprika, do you think there is just one kind? If the answer is yes, think again!

There are so many varieties of different types of spices and herbs that most may not be aware of. For example, when we see paprika in the grocery store, we are primarily buying American paprika but if we ventured out of the generic grocery store, we would find a plethora of different types of paprika such as Hungarian, Spanish or even smoked. To help educate you on some of the basics, we came up a short list of three different spices that have multiple types and varieties. We are featuring these in three separate articles for easy reading so jump to the next article if you are interested to learn more!

Paprika spice is a blend of different types of capsicum annuum peppers. There are three major countries that produce paprika.

• Hungarian paprikaalways has a hint of sweet due to the climate it is grown in but ranges from mild to hot.
• American paprikais sweet, mild and tends to have a more vibrant red colour.
• Spanish paprika can be less intense than Hungarian and ranges from sweet to bitter and mild to hot. It also comes in smoked specifically designed for Paella.

Some of the TasteTro blends that include our paprika blend are our Piri Piriblend, Vindaloo blend and Chimichurri blend.

Chili spice is derived from multiple chilis from around the globe and can be blended with different varieties to achieve specific flavour profiles. Here are some examples of different types of chillis that can be used on their own or placed into a blend.

• Ancho chilis are the dried version of poblano peppers commonly used in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. They are sweet and smokey in flavour.
• Chipotle chilis are smoke-dried jalapenos that have a heavy smoky flavour that is used primarily in Mexican cuisine to make adobo sauce.
• Chili de arbol chilis are very spicy small chilis originating from Mexico.
• Prik chee fah chilis are what you would think of if you were thinking about thai chilis. They are small but pack a lot of heat. They are used to make different thai chilis.

Currently with TasteTro we are offering a dark chilli blend that we use in our Mexican Fiesta blend, our Adobo seasoning and in our Spicy Cajun blend.

With our launch on the horizon, we have chosen the top 20 spices and herbs to launch with. As we grow, we will be adding more and more variety to our offerings such as different types of chilis, peppercorns and paprikas.

Peppercorns are dried berries from the piper nigrum flowering vine. There is a large variety of different types of peppercorns and their subtypes. Here are a few important ones to know.

• Black peppercorns are the most popular type of peppercorn we see on the market. Different varieties to check out include Tellicherry& Malabar.
• White peppercorns are a pungent, spicy and fruity dried berry that comes from the same plant as black pepper, but the outer shell is removed. Different varieties to check out include Muntok& Sarawak.
• Pink peppercorns should not to be confused with the rare red peppercorn as they are very different. Pink peppercorns are subtler in spiciness in comparison to their counterparts. They are also technically not a peppercorn but rather a berry.
• Green peppercorns are unripe black peppercorns that tend to be preserved in a brine and used in sauces. The whole peppercorn can be eaten when cooked or preserved as they are soft and mild in flavour.
• Long peppercorns are exactly what they say they are. They are long, dried peppercorns that are beautifully aromatic, floral and fragrant with minimal kick.
• Szechuan peppercorns are not peppercorns but berries that are related to the citrus family. They are not spicy but rather have a nice, unique lemony tang.

Some of the TasteTro blends that include black peppercorn are our Zesty Italian blend, Calgary Steak Spice blend and our Big Tasty Burger blend.

With our kid’s being back to school, we’ve had to adjust our routines to accommodate school drop-offs and pickups, soccer practice, gymnastics and those dreaded early morning hockey sessions. The last thing we want to fall behind on is food prep for lunches and dinners. We understand it can be super difficult to eat healthy and to feed your family nutritious food while still keeping everything easy to prepare and delicious. This is why we came up with six tricks to help you shave off time in the kitchen but still keeping nasty chemicals, preservatives and food additives out of your food.