Sichuan pepper
Chinese cuisine's tingle
Sichuan pepper is a spice from the prickly ash tree, central to Chinese cuisine.
Unlike black pepper or chili peppers, it produces a distinctive numbing, tingling sensation on the tongue rather than heat.
The flavor is citrusy and slightly floral.
Often paired with chili in Sichuan cooking to create *málà*—the signature numbing-spicy combination: The mapo tofu had plenty of Sichuan pepper.
- malaPrayer bead necklace
- numbingCausing loss of sensation
- spicePlant-derived food flavoring
- tinglingSlight stinging sensation
- hot potSimmering communal broth dish
seasoning · mapo tofu · kung pao chicken · food · aroma · aromatic oils · culinary · Asian · Chengdu · cuisine · flavor · sensory receptors · stir-fry · alkaloid · fragrant · wok · red oil · spicy oil
- Pepperpeppercorns, cayenne, jalapeno, habanero, poblano
- seasoningssalt, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary
- spicesallspice, anise, cardamom, cloves, cayenne
- Prickly Ash
- Chinese foodsoup dumplings, kung pao chicken, chow mein, baozi, orange chicken
- citrusorange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine
Sichuan pepperbland
Lacking distinctive qualities
mild · sweet · sugar · neutral · flavorless
Sichuan peppervanilla
Orchid pod extract
black pepper · parsley · white pepper · table salt · herbes de Provence