Yay: Trader Joe's Smoked Paprika

I love smoked paprika, but it's a love that came late in life. When I was growing up, the paprika we usually used was an anemic product which was 'just for color', but I never understood why because the color wasn't very appetizing. Why couldn't the deviled eggs just be yellow?

Then, I discovered the smoked version of paprika, which has a wonderful deep flavor (and, of course a gorgeous color) that's fantastic in stews, soups, marinades, over mild cheese, roasted pumpkin, etc... There's not much you can't do with it.

This is the brand I usually buy:

It's imported from Spain (although many folks consider Hungarian paprika to be far superior) and purchased at the local gourmet restaurant supply store.  I love the flavor and the stunning red color.

Recently, Trader Joe's introduced their own brand of smoked paprika: 

The Trader Joe's product also has a really beautiful deep red color, and when opened gives off a very nice smoky aroma.

It's got a bit of a coarser texture than the Spanish brand, though.

The initial test of putting a bit on some soft cheese. I can taste the nice smoky flavor and a sort of earthy aftertaste, which isn't too great on cheese, but is good in soups and stews.

Although I've got to do a bit more testing, initially, it's a 'yay', in particular because of the $1.99 price. I'm also glad to see TJs expanding their spice racks - which has always been one of the chain's weaknesses, in my opinion.

I don't think I'm going to give up my Spanish stuff anytime soon, but I think this is a very good product for the money, and would recommend it.