What Are Sichuan peppercorns and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about sichuan peppercorns and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 24 recipes to cook tonight.

What are sichuan peppercorns?

Sichuan pepper is also know as anise pepper, prickly ash or simply Chinese pepper is a hot, slightly peppery dried berry from the prickly ash family. In large amounts is causing a numbing effect on the palate.

Inside the berries are tiny black seeds that are bitter and are removed from split berries to create the best quality spice.

Originating in Sichuan province china it is a very popular flavoring that characterizes dishes from the Sichuan region and throughout China.

If you cannot find Sichuan peppers you may substitute black pepper instead, although for an authentic flavor make efforts to find the real thing.

In Chinese:	花椒
British (UK) term:
en français:	poivre sichuan
en español:	granos de pimienta de Sichuan

Recipes using sichuan peppercorns

There are 24 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Chinese Broad Bean & Potato Stir-Fry with Noodles

This is a classic dish in Northern China, it's usually made with broad beans, potatoes, pork or beef chunks as you wish, and freshly made noodles. This is an easier version by using spaghetti, I also omit the meat to make it a meatless but still very tasty.

Sichuan Stir-Fry Eggplant with Bell Peppers

A classic Chinese sichuan stir-fry. There are lots of notes in this dish, spicy, sweet, fermented taste from soy bean paste, and Asian symbol flavor from garlic, ginger and scallions. In China, the eggplant is usually fried in a good amount of oil under a high temperature, and sometimes people add some minced pork to add flavor. It's a delicious and popular dish that you can find at every Chinese restaurant in China.

Sichuan Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Red Chilis

Sichuan peppers is the key ingredient in this recipe, ginger, garlic, scallions and fresh red chili peppers stir-fried with bok choy. Very juicy and tasty, great with some rice or noodles.

Sichuan Messy Corn Stir-Fry

This quick corn stir-fry is packed with flavors, sichuan hot chili oil and peppercorns give the sweet corn lots of yumminess. If you don't like the corn on the cob, simply scape the kernels off, or frozen corn can be used as well.

Sichuan Sticky Ribs

These Chinese sticky ribs are scrumptious.

Chinese Beef Stew

Chunks of beef slowly braised in an authentic Chinese manner. Nearly any tough cut of beef can be made magically tender and flavorful with this technique.

Grilled Lamb Skewers with Spiced Mint Marinade

Grilled lamb skewers marinated overnight in fresh mint, orange juice, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and sherry. Bold East-meets-Mediterranean flavors on the grill in under 10 minutes.

Salmon in Pesto Sauce

The pesto sauce is good on any steamed, baked, broiled, or grilled firm-fleshed fish fillet.

Stir-Fried Beef with Orange

Stir-fried beef with orange peel, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chiles. The classic Szechuan restaurant dish with tender velveted beef, citrus perfume, and a numbing tingle on the finish.

Spicy Hot Sichuan Tofu

Spicy Sichuan tofu stir-fried with hot bean paste, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili oil, finished with mushrooms, water chestnuts, and green onions for a tongue-tingling vegetarian main.

The most simple yet Great tasting Pumpkin Soup

There are many variety of recipes for pumpkin soup, but this one is special tasting and quick to prepare so that you could enjoy the light music, play Bingo free or Online Bingo or with someone special. It sounds great it even better ! ! ! ! !

General Tsao's Chicken

Authentic General Tso's chicken stir-fried with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, orange zest, and dried citrus peel. A from-scratch version with no batter, no deep frying, and real numbing heat.

General Tso's Chicken with Orange

General Tso's chicken with orange zest, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chiles in a dark soy and rice wine stir-fry. A lighter, more authentic take without deep-frying or heavy batter.

Steamed Mushrooms

Chinese dried and button mushrooms stuffed with seasoned pork shoulder filling, steamed and served with plum sauce and hot mustard dipping sauces. A classic dim sum appetizer with rich umami flavor.

Mapo Tofu (Main)

Popular Chinese dish from the Sichuan region containing bean curd cooked in a spicy pepper and black bean sauce. Fermented black beans have long been used to boost digestion and support immune function. The process of fermentation also increases the vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acid content of the beans. Adding fermented foods to one’s diet is one of the best ways of creating a protective environment in the gut against harmful pathogenic bacteria and other organisms.