Paprika Žitava
Paprika Žitava or Žitavská paprika is a protected designation of origin, indicating a specific production of red paprika made by grinding dried spice pepper fruits that are harvested in the area of Podunajská nížina (in the Danubian Lowland).[1] This was the first food product to earn a PDO designation from the Slovak Republic, in 2014.[2]
Characteristics[edit]
The spice is a sweet paprika, make by grinding the dried pepper fruits. These are picked intact when ripe and undergo a special post-harvest treatment process. The characteristic intense reddish-orange colour is imparted to the paprika during the final grinding stage; a special “colouring stone” applies pressure to the mixture, causing a rise in temperature. The oil contained in the seeds is released, resulting in the change in colour.[3]
The pigments and sugars found in the paprika give it the taste and the intense red colour, both characteristic of the PDO.[1]
Geographical delimitation[edit]
The paprika's name is derived from the Žitava river valley, where the peppers were first grown. Their growing area has since spread across the Danubian Lowland, but the name remains.[3]
History[edit]
There is a 100-year-old tradition of growing and processing Capsicum peppers in the Danubian Lowland. Paprika Žitava is representative of this tradition.[4]
As of 2020, this paprika is one of the five types that have been granted a Protected Designation of Origin designation in Europe. [5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Rehuš, Marián; Valšíková, Magdaléna (2019). "Evaluation of the content of pigments and total sugars in ground sweet paprika". Potravinarstvo Slovak Journal of Food Sciences. 13 (1): 700–705. doi:10.5219/1120.
- ^ "Paprika Žitava". tasteatlas.com. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Minarechová, Radka (February 14, 2014). "Paprika Žitava to be protected by the EU". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Derrick Lin (October 27, 2015). "Paprika Zitava". Packaging of the World. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Barbosa, Sergio; Saurina, Javier; Puignou, Lluis; Nunez, Oscar (April 13, 2020). "Classification and Authentication of Paprika by UHPLC-HRMS Fingerprinting and Multivariate Calibration Methods (PCA and PLS-DA)". Foods. 9 (4): 486. doi:10.3390/foods9040486. PMC 7230234. PMID 32294945.