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Szchechuan peppercorns

dragonsfire said:
Never paid much attention to black pepper, have 1/4lb from at least 5 years ago. I always reach for the chillies  :mouthonfire:
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If you ever go for a chip shop curry sauce for whatever reason, it's great in that. Otherwise, I tend not to use it much either.
 
I like white pepper a lot, but from what I hear, it's kinda like cilantro... Some ppl just think it's disgusting. I don't understand it, really, but that's how it goes.
 
Another thing you can do with them
 
Add them to a nappa or gai choy ferment. (suan cai) I got a few pounds of it started today. Mostly with Chinese mustard greens but i did toss in a really small nappa. Weep veggies in salt. Quick rinse and let dry for a few hours or even over night. Pack into a fermenter and cover with a 2% salt brine.
 
Got some yesterday, tasted salty and gritty, not much else. looks like their are some seeds in their, will try and grow them.
 
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https://www.thespruce.com/szechuan-peppercorn-info-694248
 
 
Muckyai said:
That would be pretty neat. I have been hankering to try growing black peppercorns.
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You could grow them in Florida I tried to in Cali but my plant died they are really sensitive to the cold. Logee has them for sale. 
 
Another thing i do with them is make 5 Spice powder. Lots of the over the counter brands like McCormick have no sichuan peppercorns and way too much cinnamon. Nearly all of them use the wrong kind of cinnamon and thats why its too strong. Its simple enough to make from scratch.
 
 
Virtually none of them have use Sichuan peppercorns. Even the one i got from myspicesage used black peppercorns. I mix theirs with homemade and just leave out the cinnamon. Theirs has more than enough already.
 
 
 
ShowMeDaSauce said:
Another thing i do with them is make 5 Spice powder. Lots of the over the counter brands like McCormick have no sichuan peppercorns and way too much cinnamon. Nearly all of them use the wrong kind of cinnamon and thats why its too strong. Its simple enough to make from scratch.
 
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The wrong kind of cinnamon?
In my experience, Cassia and Ceylon varieties are a simmilar strength but have different flavour properties. Typically, the Ceylon variety is considered the proper stuff but the Cassia is cheaper and so usually used in its place.
Cassia is the chinese variety, however. I would be very surprised if it was the wrong kind for chinese cooking or if Ceylon were being used in its place.
 
ShowMeDaSauce said:
Mine smell "lemony" and have a serious numbing effect to them. The ones i get at the Asian market are sorta cheap. IIRC the package says Prickly Ash.
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I keep hearing tell of a "citrusy" taste to them but all I get is floral and metallic, with slight earthy tones hiding beneath.
 
 
Saigon cinnamon is also cassia but it has a stronger flavor. Its also cheaper at myspicesage than Chinese cassia. Theirs is the main 5 Spice ive bought lately but pretty much every one ive tried was too strong on the cinnamon. Indonesian cassia is also pretty cheap and has a sweeter aroma than some.
 
Ive got a pretty big bag of ceylon i never opened. It was a freebie i got with an order. I should open it and see how it compares.
 
One of my Chinese co-workers told me about these peppercorns a few years ago and the numbing effect, so of course I asked her to bring some.  I ate them and yes, there's a numbing/tingling sensation.  There's also a strong "metallic" flavor that someone else mentioned.  I bought something akin to a peanut snack mix in a bag from an Asian grocer that had these peppercorns in it and had the same experience.  My co-worker said, if I ever cook with them, it may be best to just heat the oil with them and then remove them so the oil gets infused with the flavor, but not necessarily the strong metallic taste you get when biting into the peppercorn whole.  I'm not a huge fan of them, but did find them interesting. :D
 
BTW, if you can't find them in your local Chinese stores, Penzeys carries them.  I bought a jar from there a while back to try.
 
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/szechuan-peppercorns/c-24/p-1415/pd-s
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/szechuan-pepper-salt/c-24/p-447/pd-s
 
I also agree with the metallic taste because this is how I experienced them:
 
I was given hot peanuts from China.
 
I tried them and my first thought was "Does this have extract?" Not because they were crazy hot but extract can taste metallic... then I realized nope, it has dried red chilies and szchechuan peppercorns, the combo creates an almost extract, low-heat experience along with the dental numbing which is why I particularity do not like. To each.
 
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