Not at all related to either chile peppers or black peppercorns, these "peppercorns" come from central China, most notably Sichuan province (hence the name). They are also popular in Himalayan cuisine - especially when combined with ginger and star anise or in the popular Chinese Five-Spice blend. Szechuan pepper has a slightly floral flavor that is not spicy at all; their most striking feature is a slight numbness of the tongue (similar to the effect of clove). Only the husks of the seed pods are used since the seeds themselves have a gritty texture and not much flavor. We recommend toasting Szechuan pepper before use and adding towards the end of the cooking process.
Spices and herbs should be stored away from light, heat and moisture. However, storing spices in the refrigerator or freezer may actually shorten their shelf life and they risk picking up other food odors. In general, whole spices have a longer shelf life than ground spices. Depending on the spice and how well it is stored, a good rule of thumb is six months to a year for powdered spices and longer for whole spices and seeds. The best way to determine if your spices or herbs are still fresh is to close your eyes and sniff – if you cannot immediately tell what the herb or spice is, toss it!
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Manufacturer:
N/A
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| SKU: |
1120900
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| Unit: |
lb |
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