Despite its relative ubiquity, paprika is still a bit of a confusing spice. Its telltale small flakes and appealingly bright red color are a dead giveaway that it's a form of dried and crushed red pepper, which is really all paprika is. But, that fact is deceptively simple because paprika can be made from a blend of dried peppers that come from the Capsicum annuum family, which covers a slew of peppers you know and use already, like cayenne, jalapeño, serrano, and bell. That means the paprika in your spice jar is most likely a blend rather than one single pepper.

The garnishing touch to your deviled eggs can get even more involved, depending on which type of paprika you purchase. There are different variations of paprika hailing from different parts of the globe and they all serve different purposes, depending on what you're cooking and where it originates from.

The garnishing touch to your deviled eggs can get even more involved, depending on which type of paprika you purchase. There are different variations of paprika hailing from different parts of the globe and they all serve different purposes, depending on what you're cooking and where it originates from.