Spice support: Sichuan peppercorns

Sichuan peppercorns provide a mouth-tingling, warming sensation and are a vital ingredient in the cuisine of its eponymous Chinese region. America’s Test Kitchen explores the history and culinary applications of the tiny berries, which aren’t related to black peppercorns at all. Sichuan peppercorns are the berries of the prickly ash shrub, which belongs to the citrus family. 

While most people associate Sichuan peppercorns with spicy foods, they aren’t in themselves providing the heat. Rather, “they contribute a heady, mouth-watering citrus, pine, and floral aroma as well as a unique tingling or buzzing sensation much like carbonation, or a mild electric current,” explains ATK. Apparently a compound in the spice tricks our brain into perceiving a vibration.

The article provides information on what to look for when purchasing Sichuan peppercorns and provides a few applications for the spice, including traditional dishes like mapo tofu. The EYB Library contains over 1,400 online recipes containing Sichuan peppercorns, including these Member favorites:

• Gong bao chicken with peanuts (Gong bao ji ding) from Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop
• Sichuan pork ragu from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes
• Mushroom mapo tofu from East by Meera Sodha
• Spicy pork and mustard green soup from from Bon Appétit Magazine
• Kung pao chicken from Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho and Jody Horton (pictured)