As a Hungarian, I can say that this sucks

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary plunged into a national culinary crisis on Thursday as its beloved paprika powder -- and any products containing the hot red spice -- vanished from shop shelves because of a contamination scare.

Thousands of Hungarians flooded a telephone hotline to inquire about food safety after the authorities said on Wednesday they had discovered traces of a toxin in some paprika samples at warehouses.

Retailers were ordered to clear the shelves of any paprika-containing products until further notice while consumers were told to abstain from eating them until further notice.

The announcement caused a shock in a country where the average citizen consumes a pound of paprika -- the defining flavor of goulash, the national dish -- each year.

"This shakes the foundations of Hungarian cooking because we can't cook without paprika," said Eszter Molnar, a 27-year-old office worker in the southern town of Kalocsa.

"I'll have to throw out all the paprika I have, I don't know what I can trust any more."