Authentic Szechuan Peppercorns (100g x 2) (Combo Pack) Pack of 2

I tentatively bought this duo a year ago, and these two items have become my two favourite things in the world. Both of these products are much more potent than any other Sichuan peppercorns I have ever used, and with them I make the best Mapo Tofu and Mu'er Maudo Shala I have ever tasted. Of this particular package, both kinds of peppercorn are of phenomenal quality. The red peppercorns are so bright-red that they almost look dyed (though they are not). Once you open the package, you’ll know if you have not resealed it properly, because the potent aroma leaks out of the tiniest opening and perfumes the air. I wish I could source the brand that sells these so that I could buy a 5kg bag of the red peppercorns (of which I have more use) alone! The green ones are pretty great, too. Though both the red and the green peppercorns heavily impart the numbing sensation, the green ones are definitely more potent. I just made a Chonqing-style hotpot, except used only these green peppercorns and chilies. The distinctive tea-like aroma of the peppercorns along with the potent numbing sensation made the dish instantly one of my favourites. The red peppercorns have a very warm, floral, sweet, almost cinnamon-like aroma to them and are most potent when toasted in the dry wok on low heat and then ground into a fine powder and added to dishes a minute before the end of cooking. I find the red ones compliment hearty umami flavors and red chilis. Both red peppercorns and red chilis have an almost fruity quality to their flavour profile that probably has to do with them being ripe fruit. The green peppercorns have a potent smell almost exactly like Bigelow Earl Grey tea bags (bergamot oil?) and raw coriander seeds. I didn't know how to use them for a long time, because if you toast them and grind them into a powder, they impart a bitter flavour, even if you pick out all the black seeds. The black seeds are common in the green variety, by the way, because the pericarp doesn't fully open before the fruits are harvested. I think the easiest way to extract their flavour is to add to a small amount cold oil in a pan, and heat until the mixture starts to sizzle, and then just until the paricarps start to discolour. They become crispy and impart their aroma to the oil, which can then be poured on top of dishes (particulary fish, lightly flavoured/’fresh’ tasting dishes) to finish. Of course, if you’re buying these, you probably know what you’re going to do with them. Update: While I originally wrote the bulk of this review in July 2018, I tried to write another 5-star review just now in August 2021 because I had forgotten about the first. These are still better than any other brand, and by the way, I did buy 2 kg of peppercorns directly from a factory Sichuan province. These peppercorns are on par with the ones I imported or better. Buy them now!

In my opinion, SPICY food > MILD Food. Period. I recently tried a variety of Szechuan dishes at 1 of just 2 authentic Szechuan restaurants in my city. Of all the spicy foods I’ve eaten in my lifetime which is pretty much daily, I’ve never tasted numbing spice like Szechuan. It’s addictive! After a bit of research, I settled on these and so happy my food has the nice numbing spicy flavor like the dishes at the restaurant! Win! *Be careful not use too much! In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have poured it straight from the bag into the pot. About 1T went in and it was surprisingly spicy! I like the fresh Szechuan peppercorn flavor, but had to pick out the rehydrated peppercorns lol. Next time I’ll add 1 tsp of the peppercorns onto my palm, then add it to the dish. Each of these bags will last a while so be sure to store it properly in an airtight container or jar. Attached photo Left: dehydrated peppercorns straight outta the bag Right: cooked peppercorns As you can see, the cooked peppercorns are nice and plump. The flavor is intense, so use it sparingly! Looking forward to trying it in other dishes! I highly recommend you try it for yourself. Happy cooking!

I had actually never used Sichuan peppercorns before in any of my dishes, but as I love authentic Chinese cuisine and recently started cooking more and more dishes for ourselves, I had seen where a lot of the recipes had called for either red or green Sichuan peppercorns as part of the ingredients. After reading up on them a bit I figured that I just had to give them a try. Wow! If you haven't granted yourself the opportunity to give them a try yet either, don't wait! I love spicy food, but these bring it to a whole new level. They're actually not "hot" like you might think they would be (and they're actually not a peppercorn at all), but boy, that tingle can't be missed if you like to use a lot of them in your recipes like I now do. Using just the amount called for in most recipes might give you a taste of that tingle, but it surely WILL increase the taste and aroma for the better, hands down. I personally like the ripened red peppercorns over the unripe green ones, but they both have their advantages in certain recipes. Use them "as-is" in stir-fry, sauces, hot pots, soups and BBQ, grind them into a powder and strain out the hulls for making a great spice for sprinkling on top of just about any dish, or infuse them with some hot oil for use in other recipes and you can't go wrong. Thank you!

Great for making pepper salt, and adding to other asian dishes. Much larger quantity then what I could find locally. Should keep me supplied for quite a while. Flavor on both is quite good and give the tingle/numbing to the tongue that you expect. There are a few stems and seeds in each so taking one star off, but less then some I looked at in the store. Not enough to bother sorting out before put in the spice grinder.

This not really peppercorns in the sense of traditional pepper. These taste completely different, somewhat lemony and pretty funky. However, they are an essential ingredient for authentic Chinese cuisine. I like this brand because of it's quality and freshness. Some of the reviews for other brands of Chinese peppercorns included comments about a lot of foreign matter, i.e., not peppercorns, mixed in with the product. These are just peppercorns. The quality is excellent and the flavor is exactly what it's supposed to taste like. Frankly, I'm still learning to love the flavor, but this is a great product for the process. I will buy this brand again. Thanks.

I lived in China for 10 years, and I’m really missing quality ingredients like these. You can tell them apart from similar products offered in spice markets (in NYC) by smell alone - they are quite pungent. The taste is clean and free of chemical/medicinal flavors I’ve found with other Sichuan peppercorns sold here. Bottom line: worth the extra money!

These were impressive to my friend from 中国。Very fragrant, flavorful and delicious.

I'm not an expert yet on Szechuan, but in my humble opinion these are the real deal. They have a great taste, and do the job. I grind them in a mortar and pestle fresh every time before using.