Despite rapid development that has seen Chengdu taken over by skyscrapers in recent decades, the city has a decidedly carefree feel that noticeably contrasts with the fast-paced metropolises of Shanghai or Shenzhen. The frenzy of flavours set off firecrackers on my tongue, quietened moments later by the welcome sensation of numbness.
If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. Sichuan peppercorn: A Chinese spice so hot it cools. Share using Email. By Megan Zhang 11th November Despite not feeling hungry at first, my stomach became a bottomless pit as I continued eating. The level of fragrance that you get in Sichuan food is unlike anything in the world. When eating Szechuan pepper, you may feel a bit Harold McGee says the pepper seems to mess with different types of nerve endings simultaneously, inducing "sensitivity to touch and cold in nerves that are ordinarily nonsensitive," and leaving you with an overall experience that could "cause a kind of general neurological confusion.
But the feeling is actually kind of invigorating. Pop rocks in the mouth! Tingling tongues are primed for the spicy heat of the actual chile peppers.
It's a strange, kind of exciting combo of sensations. So it's definitely reassuring to know in advance that nothing alarming is happening.
Szechuan pepper is a key component of Chinese Five Spice. Mapo tofu, a staple of Sichuan cuisine. The proliferation of Sichuan peppercorn Once confined to the Chinese kitchen—not to mention, banned in the US from to for fear of crop bacteria—the ingredient has, in recent years, found its way into menus across the world, from hipster bars to Michelin-starred restaurants.
Sichuan peppercorn is also finding its way into cocktails. A new pantry essential Sichuan peppercorn is an acquired taste best used sparingly when cooking with it at home. Just like black pepper, freshly ground Sichuan peppercorn tastes superior to powdered ones. The ground peppercorn can be used in simple salad dressings, or used in marinades. Combining it with powdered cinnamon, cloves, fennel and star anise also makes the classic five-spice seasoning, a cornerstone of Chinese cooking. Written by Rachel Tan.
Features Features 1 minute. Features 2 minutes. Chef Malta Michelin Guide. Features 1 minute. Nine new restaurants were awarded One Michelin Star. Split a seed case in two and nibble slowly on a single half at the front of your mouth. Don't rush this, as the flavours and sensations take time to unfold and, the more you chew, the quicker these subtle changes take place. The experience is very much longer and more complex than with black pepper, so let it develop slowly.
This usually begins with a citrusy, lemon sherbet wave that gradually gives way to warm heat the "la". It's a sweet marriage, like the perfect tomatoes with acid and sweet in beautiful balance, but it passes, almost with the click of a switch, into a strangely numbing, almost anaesthetic feeling the "ma" on the lips and tongue.
It can be slightly unnerving at first but it is peculiarly addictive, perhaps because it is purported to give you a spiritual lift to go with that sensual experience. Spiritual or otherwise, there's simply nothing quite like it — it's a delightful window into the hidden world of pepper.
There are several different species of Szechuan pepper, as well as many more closely related peppers within the Zanthoxylum group, each of which lends their own characteristic flavour to their particular regions' cuisine. Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Z. If you have room for just one variety I'd go for the former.
I prefer its lighter touch — it's more "ma" than "la". The peppercorns aren't overly powerful but do have a wonderful light wave of heat to accompany their bright lemony overtones and characteristically tingly "ma"-ness.
Buying peppercorns can be expensive, yet the plants are perfectly easy to grow, and by doing so you'll get all those wonderful "ma" and "la" qualities at the top of their game. You can grow plants from seed but you'll be a good few years away from harvesting. Plants, by contrast, will afford you a harvest considerably sooner and are relatively cheap, as you'll easily make the outlay back in earlier harvests.
Simply plant your bush and prune to the size you like as it grows. Mulching around the base is vital to minimising competition as the plant establishes. It's also sensible to wind a tree guard around the base of the young bark as it makes easy nibbling for rabbits that are perhaps partial to a sensuous lift too.
As well as the prospect of peppercorns, your plant gives you the excuse to stop every time you pass, to rub the leaves for their heady hit of spice and citrus.
Like a tea break, it provides a perfect punctuation to the day, and is up there with popping fresh peas into your mouth as one of the finest kitchen-garden treats. Keep your Szechuan pepper plants away from any other citrus plants you may have.
They are in the same family Rutaceae as limes, oranges and lemons and Szechuan peppers can carry the canker that attacks citrus trees. In the US Agriculture Department banned the import of all Rutaceae plants as well as their products — including Szechuan peppercorns — sparking off a lively underground market for the peppercorns, especially within Chinese communities where its "ma la" qualities are so crucial to many dishes.
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