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Interesting. UK Chinese restaurants used to be mainly Cantonese and spiciness wasn't something I associated with Chinese food. (I'm talking about the 90's or so

Interesting. UK Chinese restaurants used to be mainly Cantonese and spiciness wasn't something I associated with Chinese food. (I'm talking about the 90's or so - I'm in my late 40s) I've recently become enamoured of Szechuan food and the places near to me seem reasonably authentic judging my the unfamiliar ingredients and the predominantly Chinese clientele. And the food is spicy and numbing. I believe the combination is called "Mala" meaning "Hot + cold" which describes it well. Szechuan peppers don't provide heat - they do something very strange to one's taste receptors. Chewing on one is a very peculiar experience a bit like eating something akin to savoury popping candy with a kind of menthol cooling plus a kind of "citrus on steroids" feeling.

jelliclesfarm 7y ago
Yes..it’s called neuralogical dissonance. It tricks the brain into thinking that the red chilies are spicier than they really are..usually there is a ratio to red Chilli Pepper and Sichuan pepper for the Mala effect. It is a numbing or tingling effect. It makes us think that the tingling/numbing is due to spice/heat scoville level. This in turn starts a cascade of other symptoms that is involuntary and usually associated with too much spicy heat in the food..like sweating or increased heart rate or eyes watering etc. in pale skinned diners, it makes them really red in the cheeks and fully flushed as tho they are eating Chilli peppers at a very high scoville rating. The interesting thing is that the numbing sensation ‘hijacks’ the neural feedback to the brain which releases a flood of endorphins because there is a cognitive dissonance..because heat/spice level is translated as pain in the brain. It’s the neatest culinary hack. I used to be a chef before I drifted into farming. I take great pleasure in demonstrating this. Another one is Japanese Sansho pepper tree. Also from South America, spilanthese ..these button like flowers(they look like buds..they lack petals). do the same thing. It is also known as toothache plant as its used by herbalists for numbing of the mouth for dental pain/toothaches. I grew them in my farm for some years (I was selling to herbalists) and it was always a hit with school kids on farm tour.

jelliclesfarm 7y ago

Yes..it’s called neuralogical dissonance. It tricks the brain into thinking that the red chilies are spicier than they really are..usually there is a ratio to red Chilli Pepper and Sichuan pepper for the Mala effect. It is a numbing or tingling effect. It makes us think that the tingling/numbing is due to spice/heat scoville level. This in turn starts a cascade of other symptoms that is involuntary and usually associated with too much spicy heat in the food..like sweating or increased heart rate or eyes watering etc. in pale skinned diners, it makes them really red in the cheeks and fully flushed as tho they are eating Chilli peppers at a very high scoville rating. The interesting thing is that the numbing sensation ‘hijacks’ the neural feedback to the brain which releases a flood of endorphins because there is a cognitive dissonance..because heat/spice level is translated as pain in the brain. It’s the neatest culinary hack. I used to be a chef before I drifted into farming. I take great pleasure in demonstrating this. Another one is Japanese Sansho pepper tree. Also from South America, spilanthese ..these button like flowers(they look like buds..they lack petals). do the same thing. It is also known as toothache plant as its used by herbalists for numbing of the mouth for dental pain/toothaches. I grew them in my farm for some years (I was selling to herbalists) and it was always a hit with school kids on farm tour.