Famous for its gooey fondant centre, Creme Eggs are sold by bucketloads when Easter approaches. The treats tend to hit supermarket shelves hard in the months leading up to the celebrated holiday.
But despite being one of Britain’s most-loved Easter treats, few people can actually tell you what goes into making a Creme Egg. Aside from the obvious chocolate shell, it can be a head-scratcher to think what the inside is made of.
Going directly to the source, a Daily Star reporter was told on a visit to Cadbury HQ that it’s not a simple blob of food colouring that makes a Creme Egg’s creamy centre look so similar to the real deal. A Cadbury spokesperson reportedly said that the yellow ‘yolk’ gets its colour from paprika.
An extract from the spice, made from dried and ground red peppers, helps to make the gooey fondant resemble an actual egg. But, it doesn’t give off any of the noticeable paprika flavour people who cook with the spice may be used to.
Paprika offers several health benefits due to its rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, and capsaicin. This spice also contains various antioxidants, which fight cell damage caused by reactive molecules called free radicals.
Free radical damage is linked to chronic illnesses, including heart disease and cancer. As such, eating antioxidant-rich foods may help prevent these conditions.
Paprika contains several nutrients that may boost eye health, including vitamin E, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Studies have linked a high dietary intake of some of these nutrients to a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
Paprika may benefit your cholesterol levels. In particular, capsanthin, a carotenoid in this popular spice, may raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, which is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. The carotenoids in paprika may also help decrease levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, which are linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
The capsaicin in paprika may help manage diabetes. That’s because capsaicin may influence genes involved in blood sugar control and inhibit enzymes that break down sugar in your body.
Whilst there’s nowhere near enough paprika in a Creme Egg to truly benefit from it when eating the chocolate treat, it’s worth thinking about adding some of this powerful spice to your regular cooking. Paprika is typically used in European cooking – especially for dishes that come out of Hungary and Spain. You can get some inspiration on the BBC Good Food website here.
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