The haunting Sichuan peppercorn ...now available in the U.S.

A few days ago I read somewhere that Sichuan peppercorns were finally approved for importation into the U.S.; they had been banned for several decades because they carried bacteria that might harm citrus fruits. I have long wondered about them because food writers always seem to describe them so reverentially; I recall that somebody somewhere even went so far as to call their aroma “haunting”. I don't think I could say that without giggling, or at least not without using an extremely melodramatic English accent.

A few months back I had inquired of my friend Jason, currently living in Shanghai, whether he might be willing to mail me some of this dangerous contraband. He agreed, but that was the last I heard about it. What could he possibly have to do that’s more important than mailing a packet of banned spice to his desperate friend in Chicago, I ask? He was probably too busy dining at Hooters.

Anyway, it no longer matters, because I was able to procure the elusive and haunting Sichuan peppercorns a mere two blocks away from my place of employment at The Spice House in Evanston, IL. As soon as I walked into their wonderful shop, I darted directly over to the prominent Sichuan peppercorn display and took a big, long whiff. The odor is indeed quite powerful and complex (insert pretentious English accent here). It’s gingery and citrusy, with a slight peppery tickle, even though they are not technically peppercorns but are actually the bud of a shrub.

The wildest thing, though, is what happens when you pop one in your mouth. Your tongue kind of dies. Not because they are particularly spicy, but because they create an odd numbing sensation that is, I have to say, a little disturbing the first time it happens. I just wasn’t sure when I was going to regain control over my taste buds. But it soon passed.

I have to think that this peppercorn news must be about as exciting as it gets over at The Spice House. I wonder if there are spice trade magazines trumpeting the triumphant return of the Sichuan peppercorn to American shores. Is there even such a thing as a spice trade magazine? If there is, the cover probably features sexy women dusting themselves with Vietnamese cinnamon and tomato powder. Or maybe that only happens at the spice trade shows. Inquiring minds want to know.

Anyway, I spent the rest of the day at work sneaking the package out of my bag for occasional sniffs. It’s just such an odd scent. Some of us who lack sophistication and who are acquainted with the world of vice have even described it as not dissimilar to, and I quote, "kind bud" (and that should NOT be spoken in a fake English accent, but rather with a West Coast back-of-the-throat laxity). I'll leave that comparison up to you.

That night I asked for Sichuan peppercorn recipe hints on the fabulous LTH Forum, and received the usual lightning-fast, helpful response. That site has been responsible for more successful meals in my life than any other, I think, and I don’t even have a link to them on this blog! Someday...

The dish I made was from Grace Young’s The Breath of the Wok, and it was superb – a classic chicken stir-fry that really showcased the complexity of the peppercorns. Plus I finally got the heat cranked up high enough under the wok to actually stir-fry, instead of just creating that disappointing combination of sizzle and steam that happens when I overload the wok and wimp out on the flame. Flame is now my friend! Chicken thighs are also now my friend. I was slightly fearful at first because I'm not a big dark meat fan, but now I know what the hell Chinese restaurants have been using in my kung pao lo these many years. Thigh meat is rich and tender and much more forgiving than breast meat. Combined with the haunting, elusive Sichuan peppercorn, it becomes very delicious indeed.