the.com/szechuan
a numbing, fiery cuisine that hijacks your tongue before your taste buds notice.
means A style of Chinese cooking from the Sichuan province, famous for its bold, spicy, and mouth-numbing flavors built on chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns.
from The name is an older romanization of Sichuan, the southwestern Chinese province whose name means roughly 'four rivers' (四川) — sichuan from chuan, 'river' or 'stream.' The spelling 'Szechuan' (and 'Szechwan') reached English menus through the Wade-Giles transcription system before the Pinyin 'Sichuan' became standard, which is why the cuisine still wears its archaic costume on takeout boxes long after the maps changed.
- mouth buzz
- Sichuan peppercorns trigger a 50-hertz vibration sensation on lips
- not pepper
- the peppercorn is actually a citrus relative, not pepper
- signature feel
- locals call the numbing-spicy combo mala, literally numb-hot
- mcdonald's craze
- a discontinued 1998 dipping sauce sparked riots in 2017
- flavor count
- chefs balance seven distinct tastes in one dish
szechuan province — region in southwestern china known for its fiery cuisine and peppercorns, capital chengdu
chongqing — major city in the szechuan region, famous for hot pot and spicy food culture