Sichuan pepper: numbing and hot
Sichuan peppercorns aren't related to black pepper. They're dried husks of prickly ash berries. Their sanshool makes lips and tongue buzz, a touch sensation rather than heat. Chile capsaicin supplies the burn. Together they make ma-la: numbing and hot.
Toast, grind, and sift
Toast the peppercorns in a dry pan until fragrant, then let them cool. Grind them and sift out the gritty black seeds and stem bits. Toasting brings out their floral, citrusy smell. Use small amounts, because the tingle builds as you eat.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
What causes the tingle in a Sichuan peppercorn?
Sanshool, which stimulates touch nerves. It triggers a tingling, buzzing feeling that isn't heat.
True or false: Sichuan peppercorns come from the same plant as black pepper.
False. Sichuan peppercorns are husks of the prickly ash, a citrus relative. Black pepper is a separate plant.
What went wrong? You swap Sichuan peppercorns for black pepper in a dish. It tastes peppery, but the signature mouth-buzz is missing.
Black pepper gives bite but lacks the sanshool tingle. Piperine bites, and only sanshool gives the numbing buzz.
Fill the blank: Ma-la pairs the numbing of sanshool with the heat of ___.
Ma-la pairs the numbing of sanshool with the heat of capsaicin. Capsaicin is the compound that makes chiles hot.
You want more tingle and less burn in a stir-fry. What do you adjust?
More peppercorns and fewer chiles. Peppercorns supply the buzz and chiles supply the burn.