paprykowy

Paprykowy is an adjective in Polish derived from papryka (paprika). It describes something related to paprika, either made with paprika, flavored by it, or possessing a color reminiscent of paprika. The term functions as a generic modifier in culinary and other contexts.

In cooking, paprykowy commonly denotes dishes seasoned with paprika or featuring its flavor, such as zupa paprykowa (paprika soup) and sos paprykowy (paprika sauce). The exact heat or sweetness of the paprika is usually indicated separately, for example with ostro (hot) or słodka (sweet), while paprykowy describes the general paprika-based character of the dish.

Historically, paprika has a significant presence in Central European cuisine, including Poland. Paprika was introduced to the region from Hungary in the early modern period and has since become a common ingredient for color, aroma, and flavor in many Polish dishes, as well as a coloring agent in various preparations. The term paprykowy reflects this culinary heritage by signaling paprika-related qualities without naming a specific recipe.

Linguistically, paprykowy is a productive word-forming suffix combination, used across contexts to indicate paprika-related attributes. It does not denote a standalone dish but rather a descriptive category that can modify nouns in recipes, menus, and product labels.

See also: paprika, Polish cuisine, zupa paprykowa.