Jump to content

Szechuan Peppercorns


Waitman

Recommended Posts

Great Wall or Penzey's.  Both have them.

The place out in Merrifield?  A long drive but always a worthy field trip.

Tweaked -- probably don;t have time to order but will keep that in mind of the sous chef vetoes the dinner selection for Saturday night and I have more leisure to lay in provisions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The place out in Merrifield?  A long drive but always a worthy field trip.

Tweaked -- probably don;t have time to order but will keep that in mind of the sous chef vetoes the dinner selection for Saturday night and I have more leisure to lay in provisions.

There are Penzey's stores in Falls Church and Rockville, if you have time for a drive. The ones I have are from Penzey's. I'm pretty sure I bought them at one of their stores and not online, but I guess calling to double check before driving there would be a good idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The place out in Merrifield?  A long drive but always a worthy field trip.

Tweaked -- probably don;t have time to order but will keep that in mind of the sous chef vetoes the dinner selection for Saturday night and I have more leisure to lay in provisions.

Yes.  They have an aisle with various spices and grains, and they are stocked regularly there.  It is a fun place to shop.  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Picked up a couple ounces of portable Ma La yesterday.  Those attempting to hunt it down at Great Wall should be forewarned that the stuff is billed as "prickly ash" on the packets it's sold in.  The brand we bought actually called them "Sichuan Peppercorns" in tiny print on the back, but the front was completely Chinsese so no obvious help there.

Those contemplating purchasing a package should consider as well the very wonderful lamb/cabbage fusion combo that apparently-noted West Coast chef Sang Yoon reccommends for "Sangsgiving."  The recipes are on the upper right of the page.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Picked up a couple ounces of portable Ma La yesterday.  Those attempting to hunt it down at Great Wall should be forewarned that the stuff is billed as "prickly ash" on the packets it's sold in.  The brand we bought actually called them "Sichuan Peppercorns" in tiny print on the back, but the front was completely Chinsese so now obvious help there.

Those contemplating purchasing a package should consider as well the very wonderful lamb/cabbage fusion combo that apparently noted West Coast chef Sang Yoon reccommends for "Sangsgiving."  The recipes are on the upper right of the page.

<TMI> Interesting.  I suppose there is an assumption that you already know what they look like?  Prickly ash is the common name for trees of the same genus in English speaking countries, and indigenous people in the Americas used the fruits' numbing properties for mouth issues, so there is also the common name of toothache tree.  I'm curious if the Chinese marketers looked up Zanthoxylum some place like Google and chose an English common name because the pictures of the fruits look the same.  The Mandarin translates as "flower pepper."  Fascinating, really, if such things happen to fascinate you. </TMI>

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the same urge recently and these are a pain in the butt to find.

It took me two visits (sold out the first time) but Bazaar Spices at Union Market carries them.  Made a riff on the Szechuan pork, greens, and noodle soup on the cover of last month's Bon Appetit - an awesome recipe.

post-6644-0-89368000-1390775050_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my sister lived in Charlottesville for a while and became addicted to the peter chang's there, and would always ask for an extra container of the spicy oil they served on top of many of their dishes. it's a red oil whose main component seems to be these Szechuan peppercorns. does anyone know how to make this oil? we actually have some peppercorns, just not sure how to turn them into that tasty oil.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

take 1 cup of oil and heat almost to the smoking point {a few wisps of smoke should come off the oil.  Drip in 1/2 cup peppercorns.  They will foam up so use a fairly good size pan.  As soon as they start to get aromatic, pour the oil and peppercorns in a stainless steel bowl to stop the cooking.  The bowl will get very hot very quickly, so use an oven mitt to hold the bowl steady and stir the peppercorns till all sizzling and bubbling stops.  This will throw off a haze of fine droplet of the oil, so care is needed if not a gas mask and breathing apparatus.  Take the cooled oil and pour in a jar.  When you use, stir or shake the jar to mix the peppercorn and the oil.  1-2 Tablespoons is enough to render a dis for 4 very numbing.

The same technique can be used for red pepper flakes.

The trick is to have the oil hot as can be to start, and cook then cool very quickly so the peppercorn/chile flakes turn dark without actually burning.  You can take two stainless steel bowls and fill the larger with ice and then put the one with the oil in it to help cool quickly.  If the peppercorns/flakes don't get dark, you don't get the right flavor.  If they get the slightest bit black, they are ruined.

The eye stinging haze will last for hours.  The sensitive should be told to stay away or they will suffer greatly.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prickly ash is the common name for trees of the same genus in English speaking countries, and indigenous people in the Americas used the fruits' numbing properties for mouth issues, so there is also the common name of toothache tree.  I'm curious if the Chinese marketers looked up Zanthoxylum some place like Google and chose an English common name because the pictures of the fruits look the same.  The Mandarin translates as "flower pepper."

On a related note, at the Ithaca (NY) Farmers' Market, I recently acquired a small quantity of fresh Acmella oleracea flower buds (fka Spilanthus acmella, aka "toothache plant").  These too have a spicy numbing property, and I'm told are found in Brazilian cuisine as jambu.  It was suggested that I chop them very finely and experiment with them sparingly on whatever dishes, and also that they dry well.  Has anyone here cooked with this herb?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went a little overboard when making tea-infused liqueur earlier this year and infused a pint of vodka with szechuan peppercorns. The infusion is really, really, really strong. Way too strong to use in any kind of beverage, unless I use an eyedropper, and maybe not even then. Anyone with creative ideas on how to use this concoction in cooking? I could just try substituting it for infused oil, but there might be some more....intriguing....experiments possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went a little overboard when making tea-infused liqueur earlier this year and infused a pint of vodka with szechuan peppercorns. The infusion is really, really, really strong. Way too strong to use in any kind of beverage, unless I use an eyedropper, and maybe not even then. Anyone with creative ideas on how to use this concoction in cooking? I could just try substituting it for infused oil, but there might be some more....intriguing....experiments possible.

I find that red meats are really good at soaking the oil up, or maybe you can make a reduction sauce? Something with brown sugar or molasses to cut the spice away?

The first thought was some sort of roast pork shoulder/butt or pork chops. Then it migrated to some sort of play on a stir-fry lamb dish. Either way, the possibilities are endless!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went a little overboard when making tea-infused liqueur earlier this year and infused a pint of vodka with szechuan peppercorns. The infusion is really, really, really strong. Way too strong to use in any kind of beverage, unless I use an eyedropper, and maybe not even then. Anyone with creative ideas on how to use this concoction in cooking? I could just try substituting it for infused oil, but there might be some more....intriguing....experiments possible.

Maybe use a little bit mixed with plain vodka to cure a big piece of salmon. Add to a BBQ sauce. Add a few drops to a curry or a stir fry. Add to the sauce for cold sesame noodles. Add to a brine for meat to be grilled or smoked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the suggestions! I think I need to transfer it to one of those jars with the eyedropper inset into the lid to avoid accidental overdosing of flavor.... Hmmmm, I am planning an experimental Shaanxi pulled noodle escapade this weekend with some friends, maybe a smidgen would work there....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Grand Mart near my house stopped selling szechuan peppercorns, so I've been ordering online. I have found that the quality of szechuan peppercorns has gone down a *lot* in the past year or two. I have bought from multiple sources, and ended up with bags of thorns, twigs, the black seeds from the center of the peppercorns, and in one case, an unidentified red seed that was the same color but clearly not a szechuan peppercorn. It used to be easy to pick out a few of the black seeds from the peppercorn husks, but now I just pull a few peppercorns out of a big bowl of debris. Anyone had any luck recently with a particular vendor? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

has anyone ever cooked with fresh Sichuan peppercorns or prickly ash? i found some fresh prickly ash berries and the raw flavor is fantastic--there's the numbing action but a lot of citrus/lemon plus savoriness. it really reminds me of the topping/spice powder peter chang puts on his fried eggplant. i was so excited to cook with these so tried smashing some and heating them in oil (i thought they might infuse the oil, like chile flakes or garlic), and then stirfrying veg with them. I was very dissapointed by the flavor, it seems to have vanished or gone down to just a hint. are these things better if they are not cooked? is there a trick to cooking with them or any way to transfer the flavor to another medium that might allow me to disperse the flavor more evenly than just attempting to chop them finely and sprinkling over things? i'd experiment but i only have a scant handful left and don't want to waste them. thank you 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/8/2021 at 1:06 PM, sandynva said:

has anyone ever cooked with fresh Sichuan peppercorns or prickly ash?

A lot of recipes call for blooming the peppercorns in oil and then topping with fresh. With that approach you can get both flavors (like raw/cooked garlic)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...