I made a stew with garam masala and paprika only(https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/bart-ground-paprika/007317-3405-3406). I would have expected it to taste sweet however it didnt and was lacking in flavour.
I'm wondering what may have caused this e.g. is paprika water soluble such that the sweetness got diluted by water? does it need to be added in larger amounts to get any real flavour in a pot etc?
Sweet paprika isn't really sweet.
It's not hot (and not bitter), but just as we sometimes call non-spicy (bell) peppers sweet peppers, sweet isn't used in quite the way it is to describe other things (like apples).
Dulce, the Spanish word, correctly translates to sweet but it also translates to mild. Doux in French is related, but gentle, mild, soft are the main meanings. It's not just a translation issue though - fresh water was often described as sweet by sailors (and indeed does taste almost sweet after very salty food or swimming in the sea).
The fact that you found it lacking in flavour is more significant. I've always found that to get a dominant paprika flavour you have to use quite a lot, much more than with spicier spices. It would also provide quite a strong colour.
European (Spanish) paprika comes in a number of different guises, depending on the method used to process it and the variety of pepper used. There is sweet (also called smoked) paprika, hot (spicy) paprika and bitter paprika. The varieties generally sold in UK supermarkets are the latter two varieties.
If you look out for the La Chanita variety, you will find your stew takes on a totally different, sweet / smokey dimension. Alternatively, you could use the other varieties along with a small amount of honey, maple syrup or dark demerara sugar. You will not get the smokey attributes, but the sweeter notes will be enhanced.
