Sichuan Pepper

Sichuan pepper is used in Western China’s regional cuisine to bring distinctive cold-heat to dishes. Sichuan pepper falls into China’s ‘ma’ flavour category (mouth-numbing spiciness) rather than ‘la’ (chilli hotness), which results in an unusual, tongue-tingling flavour sensation. Sichuan pepper is often cooked alongside

What is Sichuan pepper?

Sichuan pepper is a distinctive and versatile ingredient used widely in Chinese cookery and has no western substitute. The brick-red pepper berries grown on bushes in the rutaceae or citrus family. This explains the lemon-scented leaves, and citrus notes of the Sichuan peppercorn. The Sichuan pepper plant looks much like a rose bush with sharp thorns, and a rich red stem. Its berries consist of a black seed encased in a red outer shell. The berries are dried, and the black seed separated out and disposed of, leaving just the outer red husk.

How do I cook with Sichuan pepper?

Sichuan pepper should not be eaten raw. Dry fry the whole peppercorns in a pan for a few mintues before use, or until fragrant. Crush with a pestle and mortar and sprinkle over dishes such as mapo dofu and fish fragrant aubergine. Sichuan pepper can also be used in meat marinades or for bringing a Chinese spiciness to roast vegetables.

Sichuan pepper recipes

• Mapo dofu: a traditional Sichuan tofu dish in a rich chilli and black bean sauce
• Fish fragrant aubergine: despite the name, this dish contains no fish at all! The aubergine is cooked in what was once the traditional sauce to serve with fish, hence ‘fish fragrant’.
• Crispy spiced chicken wings: Japanese-style chicken marinade, then fried in a crisp potato flour shell flecked with spicy Sichuan pepper