I've also heard that the peppercorns lose the numbing quality fairly quickly in storage. Might be worth seeking out the freshest ones you can.
this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2025
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I have bought them supposedly fresh in bulk in markets, and commercially vacuum packed less than a month previously and I do not notice a difference. However, friends coming over for dinner do, with the same peppercorns.
I think I am just not sensitive to it, and I was wondering if there was any prevalence to that.
Personally I've never came across anyone who don't get the numbing feeling from Sichuan peppers. You're built different maybe lol
Definitely no numbing or tingling electrical sensation like people describe, just a very nice citrus flavor.
I wish I got that, it seems quite interesting
Best way is to buy the whole peppercorns. Make sure they’re a vibrant red, means they’re fresh. Before you grind, to better release the aroma, lightly toast them on low heat over a pan til they’re crunchy and brittle.
Definitively got the numbing experience. How fresh were your peppers, and did you grind them, or did you buy powder?
Supposedly fresh, with a recent date, from different suppliers. I always buy whole and grind as needed.
I have been using them for years so this wasn't a one time occurrence. Eating them in restaurant dishes is the same. They just don't seem to do to me what they do to others.
OK, let me say that in my experience, you are the odd one out with this one. Well, for some people, chilantro tastes like soap, and for me caraway seeds is something that should not be put in food. But not feeling the sichuan pepper effect is something I have not heard of before.
Cilantro is delicious, one of my favorite flavors. Caraway seed is horrible stuff, I can't even say why, it's just bad. Brussel sprouts taste like metal, as does canned pineapple, fresh pineapple less so especially if it is grilled.
I wish I got that sensation from Sichuan Pepper that everyone else seems to get. I still love it for its (to me) citrusy flavor.
With caraway, the reception varies very much. There are people who barely taste the flavour, and therefore add generous amounts to a dish. I, on the other hand, can nearly taste it when I see a picture.
I remember a crispy roll with caraway seeds on top. It was among the bread roll selection at a hotels breakfast buffet. Somehow, this flavour managed to infuse the other crispy rolls. And yes, crispy rolls topped with caraway seeds seems to be a valid breakfast item in Bavaria and Austria.
I don't think I'm a supertaster, after having read up what it entails.
Having lived in China for about 7 years, I've had my share of Sichuan peppers though, as well as Sichuan pepper oil, and definitely get the tingling sensation.
Are you using whole, unprocessed peppercorns and grind them yourself? If not, they get stale very soon, and the numbness is the first thing that fades.
See if you can get the oil where you're at, that preserves it nicely.
Oh and don't just use a few corns (or drops of oil for that matter), in Chinese dishes there's a ton of it. Way more than you'd consider normal.
Something like this for example: https://www.cookinshanghai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sichuan-Boiled-Fish.png
I have both the oil and unground corns, I have also made my own oil (I really like it in vinaigrettes).
I have never lived in or traveled to China, but I did live in South and Southeast Asia for a long time.
I don't know that the Supertaster thing is related, that's just a personal theory.
It's definitelly a taste impossible to miss. I had the real stuff and some edulcorated local thing and, albeit weaker, it's so out of left field it's not credible for it to not be noticeable.
If you want to be certain you don't get the tingle, you should seek out a "Buzz Button"
It's like a Sichuan peppercorn, but maybe 5x the strength (at least in my recollection).
The only place I've had one was at a cocktail bar in Toronto, they paired it with a very sweet cocktail and the combination was mind blowing.
I love it. Definetely get the tingle. Try popping a few kernels? in your mouth, crack em open and kind of rub em between your tongue and the roof of your mouth and let em sit a while.
Ive introduced Sichuan pepper to many people and everyone finds them fascinating.
i bought whole peppercorns and freshly grated they give a heck of a numb tingle, not much flavor though or rather it's quite subtle
Love it
Green or red?
I have had both, I prefer red for the more fruity flavor