Hungary’s paprika farmers face a hotter, drier future as climate change squeezes a culinary tradition

In the Hungarian town of Kalocsa, farmers Nikoletta Pajsan Nagy and Laszlo Pajsan battled Europe’s driest summer and hottest year on record to protect their paprika crop, the country’s signature spice. Unable to irrigate much of their six-acre land due to nearby power lines, the couple spent long hours loosening the soil around the plants, which are crucial to traditional Hungarian cuisine.

Despite the grueling 20-hour days, the Pajsans' harvest turned out larger and better than previous years, a "miracle" according to Nagy.

Paprika cultivation in Hungary has dwindled in recent decades, with the area devoted to the crop falling from 13,029 hectares in 1979 to just 1,410 hectares in 2024. Cheap imports from China and South America, coupled with climate change-induced challenges such as prolonged droughts, extreme heatwaves, and new pests, have made paprika production more difficult and costly. Robert Braj, an adviser at BWA Kft, a leading Hungarian food-seasoning manufacturer, noted these issues.

Alongside labor shortages, Hungary experienced its driest summer since records began in 1901 and its second-hottest on record in 2024, according to the national weather service HungaroMet. Agnes Toth, a paprika seller at the annual town fair, lamented the reduced family size of her paprika-growing business, from six hectares to three hectares, due to the lack of seasonal workers.

At the fair, participants prepared dishes featuring the vibrant red pepper, recalling its historical significance in Hungarian identity during the 19th century. However, younger generations are increasingly opting for faster, easier-to-prepare food, posing a threat to the traditional role of paprika in Hungarian cuisine.