Sichuan pepper (huajiao)

花椒 / huājiāo

Flavor and role: Not a true pepper but the husk of the prickly ash berry, with a citrus aroma and the tongue-tingling, numbing 'ma' sensation. Toasting in a dry pan before grinding makes the aroma much stronger.
Typical dishes and uses: Mapo tofu, Sichuan hot pot, la zi ji (chili chicken), malatang, five-spice powder. In this book: ground Sichuan pepper in mapo tofu.
Substitutes: Hard to replace. Use the same amount of Korean chopi powder (or Japanese sansho); otherwise leave it out and add a little black pepper + a little lemon zest for aroma.
Storage: Whole, airtight in a cool place, 1-2 years. Ground loses aroma quickly, so grind small amounts and use within 1-2 months.
Main countries: China
Used in this book: Mapo Tofu Dan Dan Noodles Kung Pao Chicken Nepali Chicken Momo with Tomato Achar Sekuwa Thukpa Sichuan Doubanjiang Adjapsandali (Georgian × Chinese)Bone Broth Red-Braised Beef Noodle Soup Soaked-Rice Chatamari with Timur Keema and Roasted Tomato Achar Restaurant-Style Cumin Lamb with a Fresh-Toasted Spice Blend Thakali-Style Black Lentil Dal Bhat Set Nepali Dal Risotto with Timur Butter (Nepali x Italian)Crispy Dal Bhat Rice Cakes with Tomato-Timur Achar Dan Dan Noodles with Aromatic Red Oil and Fresh Sesame Paste Crispy Dan Dan Rice-Paper Dumplings Sichuan Peppercorn Fårikål (Norwegian × Chinese)Mala Gamjatang (Sichuan-Spiced Pork Rib and Potato Stew)Sichuan-Style Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp Mala Japchae (Sichuan-Spiced Glass Noodles)Hand-Rolled Three-Treasure Jiaozi with Sizzling Chili Dip Mala Cheese Jjimdak (Sichuan × Korean)Velvet Kung Pao Chicken, Restaurant Style Kung Pao Chicken Tacos with Lime Slaw Kung Pao Popcorn Chicken Cups Authentic Sichuan Mapo Tofu with Toasted Peppercorn Mapo Cheese Rice Gratin Juicy Pork Jhol Momo Momo Smash Tacos with Achar Mayo Sichuan Chili-Oil Pelmeni Charcoal Dharan Sekuwa with Sesame-Radish Achar Sekuwa Pork Burger with Timur-Radish Slaw (Nepali × American)Chicken Sekuwa Crispy Chiura Bowl with Cucumber-Sesame Achar Tihar Ghee Sel Roti with Aloo Achar Sichuan Shredded-Chicken Cold Noodles with Homemade Sesame Paste Beef Thukpa with Hand-Pulled Noodles and Timur Chilli Oil Coconut-Lemongrass Chicken Thukpa (Nepali × Thai)Cold Thukpa Noodle Salad with Timur-Sesame Dressing Green Garlic Twice-Cooked Pork, Sichuan Restaurant Style Spicy Sesame Soup Dumpling Bowl with Bok Choy

Updated 2026-10-10