Before cooking with chili peppers, Asian cultures used a combination of Szechuan peppercorn and ginger to generate heat in dishes, but these days, this pepper is better suited for cream sauces, thick stews, seasoning cubed beef, and is also an essential ingredient in Chinese Five Spice. More sweet-tart and lemony than spicy, this unusual pepper has an extremely interesting effect on the tongue, rendering a unique numbing sensation that’s pleasantly startling. We like to throw it into puttanesca sauces and salsa to make everyday foods interesting.

Great when used with cream sauces, thick stews, and cubed beef. We also like to throw it into puttanesca sauces, fish soups, and salsa to make everyday foods interesting.

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