Paprika Tap de Cortí facts for kids
Paprika Tap de Cortí is a special spice. It is made from a unique red pepper called Tap de Cortí. This pepper grows only in Majorca, an island in Spain. The paprika gives Majorcan dishes and cured meats their special color, smell, and taste.
These peppers come from a small plant that grows every year. They are short, about 4 to 7 centimeters long. They are shaped like a triangle and are sweet. A cool fact is that these peppers grow pointing up towards the sky! Farmers pick them several times as they ripen.
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Origins of Paprika Tap de Cortí
Paprika first came to Majorca in the late 1500s from America. It quickly became a popular spice. In the 1800s, a famous person called Archduke Ludwig Salvador of Austria noted how important it was. He said people mostly used it after drying it in the sun. He also thought the local Majorcan pepper was much better than others.
The Tap de Cortí pepper is grown in many Majorcan villages. Some of these are Felanitx, Sa Pobla, Manacor, Sant Joan, Santa Maria, Sant Jordi, Muro, Llucmajor, and Campos. From August to October, people used to hang strings of peppers on their houses. This helped them dry in the sun and kept their natural goodness. It also made the villages look very pretty! You can still see some old nails on houses where peppers were hung. But this sight is not as common as it was 30 years ago.
In the 1970s, it became harder for Majorcan farmers to sell Tap de Cortí paprika. Cheaper paprika from another region, Murcia, made it difficult for them to compete.
Bringing Tap de Cortí Back
To help save this local product, a Majorcan company started a project in 2008. They planted about 6,000 Tap de Cortí plants. This helped the pepper start to grow again in farming and cooking.
In 2009, a group that loves food and nature also helped. They believed in the pepper's potential. They gave away about 16,000 free young plants to farmers. These farmers were dedicated to saving local seeds and plants. Everyone knew that working together could bring this special paprika back to the market.
Many volunteers joined the project. People from the village of Santa María, non-profit groups, and even people from the island's prison helped. Together, they strung 3,000 kilograms of peppers. This made 950 long strings, which were hung on buildings like ca s'Apotecari in Santa María del Camí.
How Paprika Tap de Cortí is Made
Farmers pick the peppers in stages, sometimes three or four times. They wait until the fruit is very ripe. It is best when the pepper has already lost some moisture while still on the plant. The best way to dry them is in the sun. People traditionally make long strings of peppers, often in a spiral shape. These strings are hung on the front of houses for about 15 days. The drying time depends on the weather.
This sun-drying method helps keep the pepper's natural goodness, like Vitamin C. This is why the paprika is so good at preserving sobrassada, a Majorcan sausage.
After sun-drying, the peppers are baked at a low heat, below 50–60° Celsius. This removes any last bit of moisture and makes them easier to grind. The stem is removed, and some seeds are left in. Then, the peppers are crushed before grinding. They are ground using stone mills, usually five to six times. Finally, the paprika is sieved to make it fine and then packaged.
Special Qualities of Tap de Cortí
This paprika is known for its bright red color, unique smell, and sweet taste. Its color is very strong, measured by something called the ASTA index. Tap de Cortí paprika usually scores between 130 and 140 ASTAS. Grinding it with its seeds adds vitamin E. This is a natural antioxidant, which is good for you. It helps season Majorcan dishes and is key for sobrassada. Also, like other peppers, Tap de Cortí has a lot of Vitamin C.
Tap de Cortí paprika is also "hygroscopic." This means that even after it's dried and ground, it can absorb some moisture from the air.
How Tap de Cortí is Used
Paprika Tap de Cortí has two main uses. First, it is a popular seasoning in traditional Balearic Islands recipes. It is often used in stews and other Majorcan dishes. Some examples are bullit, arròs brut, various soups, tombet, snails, and frit Mallorquí.
Second, Tap de Cortí paprika is used to preserve Majorcan sobrassada. Sobrassada is a raw, cured sausage made from pork, paprika, salt, and other spices. The paprika gives it its special red color and deep smell. Before Christopher Columbus brought sweet paprika from South America, sobrassada was white and spoiled quickly. Thanks to paprika's preserving power, sobrassada could last up to a year if stored well. This changed sobrassada from a luxury item to a food people could eat every day.
With many tourists visiting the Balearic Islands, more restaurants have opened. This has led to Tap de Cortí paprika being used in many other dishes. It is now found in Spanish dishes like Galician octopus and Madrid boiled stew. It is even used in international dishes, such as the famous Hungarian goulash.
Keeping Tap de Cortí Fresh
To get the best from your Paprika Tap de Cortí, it's best to use it within two years. During this time, its smell, taste, and color are at their best. After two years, it starts to lose its special qualities.
If you are using it to make sobrassada, it's not a good idea to use paprika older than a year. This is because it won't have the same great qualities. Remember, Tap de Cortí is important for the taste and smell of sobrassada. It also plays a big part in how the sausage cures properly.
