Core tip: It was only over a hundred years ago that Sichuan pepper became a completely independent basic flavor in Sichuan cuisine. In the "Chengdu Tongjian" of the late Qing Dynasty, there is a mention of "Jiao Ma Ji Pian" (Sichuan Pepper and Chicken Slices). Since then, "ma" (numbing flavor) as a type of flavor began to spread in Sichuan.
"Sichuan pepper is good, Sichuan pepper is fragrant, its flavor is especially long-lasting. It's indispensable for stewing fish and braising meat, and it excels in stir-frying, pan-frying, deep-frying, and quick-frying. For any dish, it seasons; without Sichuan pepper, the flavor isn't fragrant..." In the traditional folk art "Thirteen Fragrances," Sichuan pepper is the first to be sung; it is the "big boss" of Chinese spices.
It was only over a hundred years ago that Sichuan pepper became a completely independent basic flavor in Sichuan cuisine. In the "Chengdu Tongjian" of the late Qing Dynasty, there is a mention of "Jiao Ma Ji Pian" (Sichuan Pepper and Chicken Slices). Since then, "ma" (numbing flavor) as a type of flavor began to spread in Sichuan.
Sichuan cuisine writer Shi Guanghua explains that before the Ming Dynasty, spicy and numbing foods only contained Sichuan pepper, not chili peppers. Chili peppers entered China during the Ming Dynasty and only arrived in Sichuan during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty. After these two ingredients met, they became inseparable. Without the numbing and spicy flavor, there would be no Sichuan cuisine, and Sichuan pepper is precisely the source of the numbing flavor.
■ Usage
"Add early or late, add raw or cooked, use powder or whole"
Many Sichuan dishes cannot be made without Sichuan pepper. For instance, making Mapo Tofu requires Sichuan pepper powder. Tofu is very smooth and tender, and when the pepper powder is mixed in, it allows the flavor to be absorbed quickly. Tofu is difficult to pick up alone and is usually eaten mixed with seasonings. If you use whole peppercorns directly, the contrast in the mouth would be too great. "Basically, after eating one peppercorn, you can't taste many other flavors."
In the past, when dining at the famous old "Chen Mapo Tofu" restaurant in Chengdu, customers had to pick up their own dishes from the window. You would see the red and white dish bubbling and steaming on a hot stove. After the master chef served you a bowl, he would point to the bowl of Sichuan pepper powder and say, "If it's not numbing enough, add your own pepper!"
"Add early or late, add raw or cooked, use powder or whole." These are the terms for using Sichuan pepper in cooking.
"Early or late" refers to the order of adding to the wok. For example, when making braised dishes, the Sichuan pepper should be added early and stir-fried with other seasonings like chili peppers and broad bean paste. In Sichuan restaurants, for quick-fried vegetables like water spinach, rape flower stalks, bok choy, pea tips, etc., the oil must be heated first, then Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies are added to release their aroma before the vegetables are stir-fried in.
"Raw" refers to fresh Sichuan pepper, not dried. For example, "Malaxian Zuizhi Wa" (Spicy Numbing Frogs' Legs) requires fresh Sichuan pepper. Er Mao says that because the frog meat is delicate, it can only withstand the fresh green peppercorns, while the older, more numbing flavor of dried peppercorns would ruin its texture.
"Powder" refers to Sichuan pepper powder, which is essential for Mapo Tofu. "Whole" refers to chopped Sichuan pepper, which is chopped with a knife and commonly used in "Shui Zhu Niu Rou" (Boiled Beef in Hot Chili Oil) and "Shui Zhu Yu" (Boiled Fish).
■ Selection
Whole peppercorns retain their flavor better
The main varieties of Sichuan pepper include the small pepper and Da Hong Pao from Shanxi; Xiao Hong Pao and Dou Jiao from Shaanxi; and Zheng Lu Jiao, Jin Yang Jiao, and Mao Wen Jiao from Sichuan.
Food lover Er Mao believes that the best Sichuan pepper comes from Sichuan and Shaanxi. The best is one that is numbing with a fragrant aroma. The reddish-brown variety is superior, while the dark brownish-black is second best.
Sichuan pepper is also divided into Fu Jiao and Qiu Jiao. Fu Jiao ripens in July and August and is of better quality. Qiu Jiao ripens in September and October and is of poorer quality.
According to He Hongkang, an expert on Sichuan pepper, if categorized by color, it can be divided into green and red pepper. Green pepper is numbing, while red pepper is not only numbing but also more fragrant.
When people in Sichuan buy Sichuan pepper, they are very particular and prefer to buy whole peppercorns. One reason is that ground powder loses its fragrance easily, and the other is to assess the quality.
■ Tasting
Sichuan pepper gives Sichuan cuisine a more complex texture
Foodie Zhang Yuan loves Sichuan cuisine more than Hunan cuisine, saying the difference lies in the use of Sichuan pepper.
The feeling in the mouth from Sichuan pepper is a cool tingling sensation, while the feeling from chili peppers is a burning fire. Zhang Yuan feels that dishes with Sichuan pepper have a more complex texture, while those with only chili peppers are too one-dimensional.
According to Zhang Yuan's experience, when eating at a Sichuan restaurant, only when the Sichuan pepper is both fragrant and numbing, making all the taste buds on the tongue open up to prepare for more delicious food, does it show that the restaurant is meticulous with its seasonings.
When eating hotpot in Chengdu and Chongqing, if you are not good at handling the spicy and numbing level, be sure to remember to skim out the floating chilies and Sichuan peppercorns with a strainer early on, otherwise it will become spicier and more numbing the longer it cooks.
■ Storage
Sichuan pepper oil can be stored for a longer time
Shi Guanghua explains that Sichuan pepper oil is for preservation. After fresh Sichuan pepper is sun-dried, it cannot be stored for long; it will lose its fragrance and its numbing flavor will diminish. At its peak, it can be infused into oil to preserve its fragrance and numbing flavor.