Sichuan peppercorn
Tongue-tingling Chinese spice
Sichuan peppercorn is a spice from the dried husks of berries in the prickly ash family, not a true peppercorn.
It produces a distinctive numbing, tingling sensation on the tongue rather than heat, often described as slightly citrusy.
Central to Sichuan cuisine, it's frequently paired with chili peppers to create the characteristic *málà* (numbing-spicy) flavor: The mapo tofu needs more Sichuan peppercorn.
- numbingCausing loss of sensation
- tinglyCausing light prickling
- malaPrayer bead necklace
- SichuanSouthwestern Chinese province
- spicePlant-derived food flavoring
citrus · tongue · buzzing · mapo tofu · hotpot · chili · aromatic · prickly · zesty · Chengdu · wok · electric · lemony · fragrant · red · heat · kung pao chicken · tingling sensation
- Asian ingredientssoy, fish sauce, sesame paste, miso, oyster sauce
- Hunan-Sichuankung pao chicken, mapo tofu, hot pot, twice cooked pork, Chengdu
- Sichuan ingredientsdried chilies, chili oil, rapeseed oil
- Prickly Ash
- hot potshabu-shabu, sukiyaki, broth, tofu, napa cabbage
Sichuan peppercornchamomile
Soothing herbal infusion plant
salt · milk · sugar · honey · plain rice
Sichuan peppercorncapsaicin
Chili heat compound
chili pepper · cayenne · habanero · jalapeño · hot sauce
Sichuan peppercornsalt
Sodium chloride compound
plain flour · cornstarch · water · white rice · tofu
pepper, peppercorn, peppers, peppercorns, peppered, peppering, peppery