Nada

The cultural environment:

I- South America

Paprika in South America is an old product that has been related to all ways in private-family life of old indigenous people (Incas). According tosome archeological research there are vestiges of capsicum – Paprika in old Inca graveyards. This is the first step to start relating Inca traditional food culture with capsicum – Paprika.According to this research, the oldest two vestiges of Paprika were found in two “Huacas”, one in “Huaca Prieta” in La Libertad from year 2500 BC and in some Chavin art from around year 3000 BC.

Nowadayswe can find a wide variety of Paprika and capsicum in local markets and also is the base of most of Peruvian food and also in some parts of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, etc.

The product is verytraditional and its taste varies from region to region and also due to its diversity it can grow on different kinds of lands and highness. So Paprika-Capsicum lovers can find Andean paprika and alsopaprika from seashore and in the widest presentations possible such pulverized, mashed, dry paprika, semi-dry, natural, etc.

South America and specially the Andean region must be considered as Paprikaconsumers because of its high rates of consumption, production and also varieties.

II- Europe

Paprika was introduced for the very first time in Europe around the year 1493 in Spain, and1535 in Italy. Since those first introductions, the product starts being an important part in common recipes and also in most of Mediterranean and Balkan countries.

The countries with highest ratesof consumption in Europe are Spain and Hungary. This last country is very well known for its traditional consumption of the Paprika-Capsicum at that point that it’s considered as national product andtypical.

Even in Hungary there is a museum called “Pick Salami and Szeged Paprika Museum”, which shows to the visitor the different uses that people gives to the product. It can vary from only a...