Web blog, text and images*
Created in association with the “The Sichuan Pepper” project.
The Sichuan Pepper is an online platform for the study of Sichuan pepper and its history; a resource for all who are interested in the subject. The site is aimed at anyone interested in Chinese food, travel, cooking and culture, whether a professional scholar or an enthusiastic amateur. We aim to provide up-to-date information on academic research and events related to Sichuan pepper, as well as a forum for discussion on key issues surrounding the subject.
There is much misinformation about this topic on many Internet sites. We aim to sort out the facts from the fiction, so that anyone interested in learning about this fascinating spice can do so in what we hope will be a friendly and informative environment.*
Did you know that Sichuan Pepper is also known as the one and only miracle spice that can cure many of your illnesses and make your food taste 1000x better?
Yes, Sichuan pepper is a spice made from the seeds of an Asian species of prickly ash tree. It is a unique type of spice in its own right. Its hotness comes from the chemical compound called “Sanshool”, which is a non-pungent capsaicin relative.
Taste and Smell of Sichuan pepper: The taste is pungent, with a tingling, numb feeling in the mouth afterwards that gives way to a citrusy, floral flavor. The flavor is penetrating but doesn’t linger for long after you stop eating it. The smell will make your mouth water every time you open your spice cabinet!
How to grow Sichuan pepper: While I haven’t tried growing these myself, I have read that they grow readily from seed and root cuttings. Most commercial Sichuan pepper comes from India or China, but there are now organic growers here in the US as well.
In the last few years, Sichuan pepper has gained popularity in the western hemisphere. As a result, the quality and availability of genuine Sichuan pepper has improved dramatically.
However, like many other products, Sichuan peppercorns are being adulterated with cheaper alternatives. These adulterants are not only dangerous, they can also ruin much of the flavor and aroma that makes Sichuan peppercorns so unique and wonderful.
This site will help you identify all of these issues, as well as provide links to various sources for high quality, genuine Sichuan peppercorns, which will allow you to experience true Sichuan pepper at its finest.
Sichuan pepper is a dried berry from a tree that grows in China, and it has been used in Chinese food for more than 1,000 years.
The pepper was traditionally used to season fish and chicken, but now it’s mostly used to make Sichuan cuisine famous for its numbing spiciness.
Sichuan peppercorns are also known as “hong wei zi” (红薑子), which means red-hot ginger in Chinese.
Sichuan pepper is often confused with Japanese sansho pepper and with pink peppercorns, or Brazilian pepper. All three spices come from different plants, and each has its own unique flavor. They all have a pungent smell and slightly bitter aftertaste. And they are all red-brown in color.
Sichuan pepper (Szechwan pepper, prickly ash, Chinese prickly ash, flower pepper) is a flowering vine in the family Zingiberaceae. It is native to the Sichuan region of China and often used as a spice in Sichuanese cuisine. It is also used in Chinese herbal medicine. Two related species are found in India and Nepal.
Taste:
When eaten straight, the pungency of Sichuan pepper is reminiscent of hot peppers. However, it does not have the same burning quality; instead it has a unique mouthfeel which evokes citrus, pine or cedar notes. It can be made into a liquid concoction that is one of China’s most popular drinks.
It is also used to make Sichuan cuisine dishes such as Mapo Tofu and Dan Dan noodles with minced pork (Bo Bo Xie Bi). It is known for its numbing effect on the lips and tongue when eaten raw or added to food.Sichuan pepper was historically traded by Arab merchants from South Asia, who introduced it to their trading ports along the Silk Road prior to their return to the Middle East. From there, it spread throughout Europe and Southeast Asia following established trade routes.
Sichuan pepper (Sichuan peppercorn; Chinese: 川椒; pinyin: Chuān jiāo, Sichuanese Pinyin: Cen4 ziao4) is a common ingredient in Sichuanese, Chongqing and Hunanese cuisine. It is also widely used in the cuisines of other provinces and northern China, most notably in Beijing cuisine.
Tasting a bit like black pepper, it is less spicy than black pepper but with a “prickly” feeling that lingers. The sensation is caused by an irritant chemical in the skin of the fruit called hydroxy-alpha sanshool.
In Chinese cooking, Sichuan pepper (or Szechuan pepper), also known as prickly ash, is an important ingredient. It is widely used in China and its neighboring countries, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
The plant is a native of the region in which it has been cultivated for over two thousand years: Western Sichuan, China. It is a popular ingredient in Sichuan cuisine (hence its name) but also used elsewhere in China and neighboring regions, including Japan and Korea.
Sichuan pepper is widely used because it has a unique, somewhat spicy flavor and aroma that can be described as citrusy with a tinge of smokiness.
