Ingredient - Sichuan Peppercorn

The sichuan peppercorn is a spice used in Chinese cuisine. It is the dried brown red berries of the prickly ash bush. They have a strong lemon aroma but when eaten they have a numbing spicy characteristic to them. It creates a tounge tingling, numbing sensation.

Used in a lot of the Sichuan cuisine, recipes often suggest lightly toasting the tiny seed pods, then crushing them before adding them to food. Only the husks are used; the shiny black seeds are discarded or ignored as they have a very gritty sand-like texture. Usually bought as the whole peppercorn but can also be purchased as an oil.

The ingredient is used in a variety of Sichuan dishes such as 水煮鱼 (water boil chilli fish) or 麻婆豆腐 (mapo tofu).

You can buy sichuan whole peppercorns here or the oil here. Alternatively, press the button below to automatically add to your basket.