Sichuan pepper is an important spice in Chinese, Nepali, Kashmiri, north east Indian, Tibetan, and
Bhutanese cookery of the Himalayas. Sichuan pepper has a citrus-like flavor and induces a tingling numbness in the mouth, akin to a 50-
hertz vibration (typical of RA1 mechanical vibrotactile sensors in humans), due to the presence of
hydroxy-alpha sanshool. Food historian
Harold McGee describes the effect of sanshools thus:
Chinese cuisine hotpot with heavy use of Sichuan pepper Whole, green, freshly picked Sichuan pepper may be used in cooking, but dried Sichuan pepper is more commonly used. Once dried, the shiny black seeds inside the husk are discarded, along with any stems; the husk is what we know as Sichuan pepper or peppercorn. The peppercorn may be used whole or finely ground, as it is in
five-spice powder.
Mala sauce (; ), common in Sichuan cooking, is a combination of Sichuan pepper and chili pepper, and it is a key ingredient in
Chongqing hot pot. Sichuan pepper is also available as an oil (, marketed as either "Sichuan pepper oil", "Bunge prickly ash oil", or "huajiao oil"). Sichuan pepper infused oil can be used in dressing, dipping sauces, or any dish in which the flavor of the peppercorn is desired without the texture of the peppercorns themselves. () is a mixture of salt and Sichuan pepper, toasted and browned in a
wok, and served as a condiment to accompany chicken, duck, and pork dishes. The leaves of the sichuan pepper tree are also used in soups and fried foods.
Other regions One Himalayan specialty is the
momo, a
dumpling stuffed with vegetables, cottage cheese, or minced
yak or beef, and flavored with Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger, and onion. In Nepal, the
mala flavor is known as '''' (). In Bhutan, it is used in preparing ezay (a side dish similar to chutney), to add spiciness to rice porridge (ཐུགཔ་), ba-thup and noodle (buckwheat noodles similar to
soba) and other snacks. It is extensively used in preparing
blood sausages throughout Bhutan and Tibet. In
Korean cuisine, is often used to accompany fish soups such as
chueo-tang. In Indonesian Batak cuisine,
andaliman is ground and mixed with chilies and seasonings into a green
sambal or chili paste.
Arsik is a typical Indonesian dish containing
andaliman. ==Medicinal uses==