My love affair with paprika began with chorizo, continued with goulash, and has developed into something so powerful that I’m not quite sure where it will lead.

My obsession accelerated quickly. In Budapest, over a bowl of brothy, meaty goulash, Jennifer, my wise and trusted guide and advisor of Spanish meat, pointed out something so blindingly obvious to her, yet unnoticed at that point by me.

“You know it’s paprika that gives it that color and taste, right?” she said.

Of course! The same ingredient that makes Spanish chorizo so freakin’ amazing and distinctive was used in this Hungarian goulash.

Since returning from our 10 day tour of Eastern Europe, during which time I ate more pigs worth of pork than I probably had done in the 10 months prior, I have been making soups at a rate of about 3 per week.

…and I keep throwing in paprika! It honestly makes everything better. Chicken and pearl barley? Add paprika! Potato and carrot? Add paprika! It does not stop.

Then I got to thinking about growing up and the amazing soups my mom made. The vegetable soup was especially tasty, but what exactly was it that made it so good? Was it the homemade chicken stock? The oniony base? The surprise chunk of ham every few bites? Probably all of these things… but… I must know.. did it have paprika?