Aahhh....but the BIG secret with those szechaun peppercorns, is to dry fry them in a cast iron skillet, and then crush them in pestle with a mortar...this will release both the flavour and the heat. And JB, I read that same line about them being so hot, and compared to chile peppers, they aint! But, nothing else has that same flavour, and if you are doing Ma Po Tofu, then it is a must....hey, wait a minute...JB...you AINT doin tofu? My old heart cant stand shocks like that!!Cheers, Doug in BC