There are cooks who swear that sprinkling roasted sichuan peppercorns to a dish can transform a simple dish to a very interesting one. For instance, if the dish known as salt and pepper pork is familiar to you, the pepper sprinkled over the pork in that dish is none other than Sichuan peppercorns.
What is sichuan peppercorn? Wikipedia says it is the “outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum (most commonly Z. piperitum, Z. simulans, and Z. schinifolium), widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chilies… [It has a] unique aroma and flavour that is not hot or pungent like black or white pepper, or chilies, but has slight lemony overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth (caused by its 3% of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool) that sets the stage for these hot spices.”
Right. Not hot at all. And more than the flavor, it is the aroma that makes it incomparable.
Contrary to common belief, Sichuan peppers are not only important in Szechuan cuisine but is found in many Asian cuisines including Indonesian, Tibetan and Nepalese (or is it Nepali?). It is the rust-colored husks that are valued as spice and some say the seeds should be removed before the Sichuan peppercorns are added to food. That, I believe is only true if the Sichuan peppercorns are intended to be served on the side or as a garnish. If they are intended to be pounded or ground then added to the food while cooking, I see no reason why the seeds need to be removed.
Banned in the U.S. for allegedly containing a virus that is quite harmless to humans (the ban was more of a protectionist policy to favor certain sectors of the U.S. agriculture industry), the ban has been lifted after it was found out that heating Sichuan peppercorns at 160oF kills the virus.
More than a spice, the sichuan pepper is reputed to have medicinal uses as a blood purifier, digestive aid, a cure for certain kinds of skin allergy and even to get rid of tapeworms. Some warn though that heavy dosage may be toxic.
Scrambled Eggs, Anchovies, Tomatoes and Basil
peterb
11/14/2008 at 1:27 pmHi Connie,
Where do you buy your Szechuan peppercorns ? Is it pricey?
Connie
11/14/2008 at 1:29 pmLittle Store in Gilmore. P65 for that packet you see at the background of the photo.
Gay
11/14/2008 at 7:14 pmI’ve been trying to get hold of this peppercorns. Thanks for the tip, Connie.
Connie
11/14/2008 at 7:55 pmIf I remember correctly, Landmark also sells Sichuan peppercorns.
Crisma
11/14/2008 at 8:28 pmIt is “Nepalese” Connie.
And yes, just now I realized that the Sichuan peppercorns are the type that I’ve also been searching for. Parang hindi ko mahanap sa ibang supermarkets. I’d like to use it in a spicy shrimp dish. Thanks again, Connie!
peterb
11/14/2008 at 11:08 pmThanks Connie! I’ll check Landmark 1st! Looks like a big packet for P65. Great! :)
Norbert
11/16/2008 at 6:09 pmIf there are any other places where you can find these, please tell me. Gilmore out of the way for me here in Ortigas Center
JOEY TOSINO
11/18/2008 at 1:56 amnakoo
sarap ng salt and pepper nato sa deep-fried chicken na pinatakan ng lemon!
mapaparami subo ng kanin!
peterb
11/26/2008 at 6:07 pmDidn’t find any in Landmark-Makati. Was able to get at Flavors n Spices at Market Market. The grocery there also has them in stock.
Connie, how many grams is the packet you bought?
Connie
11/26/2008 at 10:30 pmNaku, I don’t know. But the packet is the size of packets of black pepper in the supermarket.
Danny
12/13/2008 at 9:28 pmI love this! I got it from a friend from China. As it is not available in our country.
I made these so far.
Szechuan Wok-fried Chicken.
Recipe:
http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2006/12/chinese-recipe-szechuan-wok-fried.html
Szechuan Peppercorn Roasted Chicken.
Recipe:
http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/06/28/szechuan-peppercorn-roasted-chicken/
Grilled Prawns with Sichuan Peppercorn Salt.
Recipe:
http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/06/grilled-prawns-with-szechuan-peppercorn-salt/
juls
03/09/2009 at 2:09 ami got mine from Bee Tin grocery in Ongpin… P30 for a 1/2 cup packet and P60 for a cup… they have also the Five Spice powder either in whole or pulverized form…
shaina nicole
09/05/2009 at 2:51 amBee Tin Grocery in Ongpin St. in Binondo have a lot of spices and sauces that are perfect for many dishes. Sometimes, even the hardest find ingredients can be found there. Super nice store. And their prices are very affordable.
Cindy
05/01/2010 at 10:44 pmHi Connie,
I am now a regular user of this spice because of you. I appreciate your helpful information. :)
Thonybucket
06/12/2012 at 8:50 pmHi Connie & Peterb,
Been making a Sichuan Chicken dish for quite some time now and I am improvising for the “main ingredient” sichuan cos I can’t find them anywhere, I will check @ Flavors n Spices as soon as I get to Market2X, but I am just wondering if it’s still a store there? cos all of your comments were posted a couple of years ago, hehe… and if yes, where exactly?
Connie Veneracion
06/12/2012 at 9:32 pmI buy mine in Gilmore.
yojiko
06/19/2012 at 1:34 pmanu po ang name ng store sa Gilmore?
curious po ako sa lasa nya, gusto ko i try :)
thanks sa reply.
Connie Veneracion
06/19/2012 at 1:36 pm“Big” Little Store