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Joey
Not a pepper, and not primarily about heat. Sichuan peppercorn is the dried husk of the prickly ash berry, and its signature is 麻 (má) — a tingling, buzzing numbness on the lips and tongue, closer to a mild electric current than to spiciness. Together with chili heat (辣), it forms málà, the flavor identity of Sichuan cuisine. It's also intensely citrus-fragrant, which is the half of its personality most outsiders never notice.
Still confused? Ask someone who grew up with 花椒.
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