Making history for more than 140 years

What's the perfect recipe for a company that specializes in enhancing the world of flavor? Well, you need more than just paprika — you also need passion and a pioneering spirit.

In his youth, Janos Kotányi dreamed of traveling all over the world, discovering different exotic herbs and spices. This dream inspired him to use exotic spices to master his country's traditional cuisine. In 1881 in his home town of Szeged, Hungary, he founded the company that bears his name. He put his first paprika mill into operation and began producing Hungarian paprika using his own personal recipe.

Many people quickly fell in love with the paprika mix, and it was especially popular among high society in Vienna. This prompted Janos Kotányi to begin his first expansion by opening his first branch in the Döbling district of Vienna. The business continued to flourish and his paprika mixes soon reached illustrious heights.

By now, Janos Kotányi had definitely reached privileged heights, as he became an official supplier to the imperial and royal courts. From that point on, Kotányi became an indispensable part of courtly cuisine.

The rapid economic growth of the roaring twenties also boosted business for Janos Kotányi. As well as his paprika mill in Szeged, he also built a spice mill, allowing him to expand his range of seasonings and bring distant culinary worlds into domestic cuisine. He exported to the metropolises of Budapest, Berlin, Munich, Boston and New York.

Hans Kotányi was 37 when his father Janos handed over the company reins, ensuring that Kotányi was, and remains, a family business. Three decades later, siblings Hedwig and Friedrich became the next descendants of the family to lead Kotányi. Their leadership saw investment in more Kotányi branches and further expansion of the herb and spice business.

Compared to the proud 100 years of Kotányi history, Erwin Kotányi was very young when he took over the company at just 24 years old. Upon taking over, he began to shift the company's focus to Central and Eastern Europe. The international outlook that began with his great-grandfather Janos took on a new dimension.

From the late 80s to the early 90s, Kotányi invested in Central and Eastern Europe, starting with supplying Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania. Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine soon followed and the company also began to move into the markets of Germany, Italy and Russia.

Kotányi continued to lay the foundation for future success with a move to a new company head office in 1989. The cutting-edge development and production site was located in Wolkersdorf, near Vienna.

The spice mill from Kotányi. The unique mill and ergonomic design make it easy to keep up with the latest trends in seasoning, cooking and dining. And it's still used today in many countries around the world.

Kotányi continued its success story, this time heading east as international operations expanded to include China.

Kotányi opened its new logistics center in Wolkersdorf, handling supplies to all customers in Austria, Germany and Italy.

Kotányi has launched a new communication campaign to highlight the sensory qualities of herbs and spices. The slogan "Spice up my life" emphasizes the links between individuality, variety and indulgence as the traditional, natural delights of Kotányi products reach more and more places around the world.

In 1881, János Kotányi opened his first paprika and spice store. Ever since then, we have remained true to our goal: Kotányi inspires the joy of cooking. Through new products, exciting recipes and our commitment to environmental sustainability, we make the world a little more enjoyable.

The logistics center built in 2007 was expanded by three new hall sections at the end of the year 2021, creating a total area of 5,700 m². 25 employees work here as the intersection between customer service and logistics to manage international supply as efficiently as possible, using state-of-the-art technology and a warehouse management system individually adapted to Kotányi.