Ingredient Spotlight: Sichuan Peppercorns

Once banned in the US as they were thought to carry citrus canker, sichuan (or szechuan) peppercorns have been available here since 2005. Sichuan peppercorns don't actually come from a pepper plant, but are the dried red-brown berries of a type of ash tree. The berries are dried and then sold whole or crushed to a powder.

Sichuan peppercorns are a key ingredient in Chinese cooking. They have an unique, tangy taste and aroma. They are not pungent like black peppers, but have a lemony taste. They are spicy and can bring a numbing feel to the mouth and lips. Generally, they are added last when used in cooking. Only the husks are used, and are often toasted beforehand.

They can be found at Asian markets or ordered online at places like Penzey's or Import Food.

(Image:Smax Specialty Foods)

Comments (7)

How 'bout some recipes for these? I have a big bag of them that I bought on a whim, and nothing to make with them!

I lived in Sichuan for a year and fell head over heels in love with the food, which practically revolves around these peppercorns and dried red chilies.

I can't recommend Fuschia Dunlop's (I know I spelled that wrong) cookbook Land of Plenty enough. Check it out from the library--it's full of recipes that show the Sichuan peppercorn in all its grandeur. :) A basic technique is heat oil in a wok, add a 1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan pepper and a few dried chilies to a dish, stir-fry for about thirty seconds, then add some sliced garlic and ginger, stir-fry a bit more, and then add either some vegetables to stir-fry or some meat. It gives a wonderful, spicy and numbing flavor.

Here is one of my favorites, for "dry-fried green beans":
http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/cookbook/green_beans.html

I just started cooking with these - I store them double-wrapped in the freezer, and grind before I use them (because I don't like the texture of the hulls in my food). They are great in dry-fried green beans, dan dan noodles, and kung pao chicken. Cecilia Chiang's book "The Seventh Daughter" has a lot of good Sichuan recipes, and also the blog Tigers and Strawberries is a good reference:

http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2007/07/24/the-intermediate-chinese-pantry/

Those little bastards caused me trouble Monday! ;)

I picked up a batch to make Ma Po Tofu after a Chinese friend introduced me to a mix for it. Soooooo much better homemade! I like to add chopped water chestnuts to veg it up a little.

I'm still experimenting, but this is a good recipe to use and tweak:

http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/09/recipe-ma-po-tofu.html

In Chinese, they are called majiao which means numbing peppers :] There is a signature dish from Sichuan that has these peppercorns and LOTS of red chili peppers with chicken pieces.

A hearty second for Fuschia Dunlop's cookbooks.

I also really like Diana Kuan's blog, Appetite for China.

She has lots of Sichuan recipes posted here: http://appetiteforchina.com/sichuan-food