The big difference between these two mixtures is the consistency. Sauces such as hot sauces are more liquid than pastes. It is meant to lightly coat food and even enhance the taste of the food instead of covering it up with its taste. Pastes meanwhile are thicker, more viscous, and more concentrated. It’s common to see pastes such as sriracha spread onto food in a light layer instead of being allowed to coat it.  

They differ, while chili powder and paprika originate from chili peppers. Paprika is a singular spice with variations in flavor, while chili powder is a blend of several spices, offering a more complex flavor profile. Cayenne stands out for its heat, adding a spicy kick to any dish.

Balancing Heat: When using crushed red pepper, start with a small amount and adjust according to your heat tolerance. For paprika, choose the type that best complements your dish's flavor profile.

So, how do you use crushed red pepper flakes to substitute for paprika in your recipes? You will need to add one-third of the amount to the same amount of paprika required in your recipe.

In some cases, the paprika is being used primarily to add color to a dish, in which case you could add a small amount of some other red ingredient, which could be anything from a teaspoon of ketchup with a dash of chili powder mix to tomato sauce, finely pureed red peppers, tomato paste, or red beet powder. If you have bell pepper powder, use a 2:1 ratio, as the bell peppers are very sweet and don't have the kick of sweet paprika.

What Customers Say: “The Habanero Mango Hot Sauce has a sweet, but not too sweet, flavor bursting with taste and just enough kick to it to give it that awesome flavor. There's really nothing that you couldn't put it on to give whatever you're eating that extra boost in taste. It's a really, really good sauce.”

Curcumin dietary supplements containing curcumin root extract are another form of curcumin intake. Supplement labels will indicate different percentages of curcumin extract. Independent quality control and quality assurance laboratories test and inspect the product to verify these claims and endorse the label as directed by the manufacturer of the product. Some curcumin dietary supplement formulations may also contain other extracts, such as black pepper extract (piperine) or proprietary mixtures containing vegetable gums, or other lipid preparations, in an attempt to improve the bioavailability of curcumin. In particular, research has shown that curcumin can be used as a topical agent in formulations of collagen films, lotions, sponges and bandages to promote healthy skin.

I would highly recommend using fresh Thai red chillies (the smaller variety) if you can find them. They deliver that flaming red color and leave behind that spicy tingle on the tongue, usually associated with Asian sweet chilli sauce. Thai red chillies are spicy though, so be careful.

Capsaicin has been utilized widely in all types of industries. We love to use it to spice up our taste buds, but we also use it in the military, pharmaceutical, and countless other industries. We are constantly developing new uses, due to its wonderful versatility.