Re: [CH] Szechuan spice
Rich McCormack (macknet@cts.com)
Mon, 08 Jun 1998 05:58:41 -0700
Ashkenaz, Scott wrote:
>
> A work acquaintance dropped off an odd spice. His parents brought it from
> China, and he claims that it is a spice "very characteristic of Szechuan
> cooking."
>
> It looks like a reddish/pinkish peppercorn, but split and softer. The flavor
> is described differently by several people, including things like sweet,
> sour, bitter, flowery, intense. But all have one thing in common: it seems
> to numb the tongue and lips for about 10 minutes, with some people
> describing a tingling sensation.
The flavors you mention (at least a couple from my point of view)
and the tingling sensation you describe would be descriptive of
Sichuan Peppercorns. I'd describe their color being more of a
reddish-brown, but I think we're talking about the same thing.
--
Rich McCormack (Poway, CA) macknet@cts.com
Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at:
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