Pimenton smoked paprika is an essential ingredient for authentic tasting paella. But more than that, you will find this smoked paprika is excellent for general cooking at home. It may be used as a flavoring for potatoes and fish dishes, light stews, sauces, garlic chicken and roasted meats. Each type has a subtly different flavor: sweet, bittersweet, and picante - spicy. If you like to be creative with your cooking, you will find distinct uses for each of the three. Please do not confuse this paprika with the bland paprika you get at the local supermarket -- or even with the traditional Hungarian paprika. Smoked Paprika has a much deeper flavor and is decidedly smoky.The peppers used to produce all three varieties of Pimenton de la Vera are meticulously hand-harvested in early October and sent to warehouses where they are slow-smoked for fifteen days. The whole peppers become saturated with the smoke of smoldering oak logs, adding intense flavor while preserving their natural blood-red color. After being stone-ground into a velvety powder, the pimenton is shipped directly from the La Vera valley to La Tienda to ensure freshness.