Sichuan pepper
SECH-wahn
Zanthoxylum
Citrusy, woody, tongue-tingling, numbing.
What it is
Sichuan pepper is the dried husk of berries from the Zanthoxylum shrub, and despite the name it is neither a true pepper nor a chile. Its signature is not heat but a citrusy, woody aroma and a distinct tingling, numbing buzz on the lips and tongue from a compound called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. Paired with chiles, it produces the famous numbing-and-hot mala flavor of Sichuan cooking, in mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and dry-fried dishes. Only the fragrant husks are used; the bitter inner seeds are thrown away. Toasting and grinding fresh keeps the tingle alive.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: delicate dishes; the numbing is assertive.
Common in Chinese cooking.
Whole vs ground
Only the reddish-brown husks are used; the gritty black seeds inside are discarded. Husks are toasted and ground fresh, since the tingling fades quickly.
How to handle it
Toast the husks gently until fragrant, then grind. Used with chile, it creates the numbing-and-hot mala sensation of Sichuan cooking.
Storage
Airtight and dark. Whole husks keep their aroma for several months; the tingling fades faster than the smell.
Buying note
Buy reddish-brown husks with few black seeds and a strong citrus smell. Older Sichuan pepper loses its tingle.
Classic dishes
mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, Chinese five spice, dry-fried beef.
Out of sichuan pepper? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| black pepper with a little lemon zest | to taste | gives bite and citrus but none of the numbing tingle |
One odd thing
Sichuan pepper does not burn; it creates a tingling, numbing buzz on the tongue, the cooling half of the mala sensation.