11 ms·

Brazil's answer to the Sichuan pepper

175 points by Stratoscope 4y ago

gusbremm 4y ago
Jambu taste/effect is very weird but very pleasurable. I really hope it launches and get popular.. I live in south of Brazil and NONE of my local friends ever tried or heard about it.
mytailorisrich 4y ago
I wouldn't call Sichuan pepper a stipple of Chinese cuisine. Its use is very regional.
- bpodgursky 4y ago
  True, but I'd say it's a staple of international/exported Chinese cuisine.
  - lofatdairy 4y ago
    Honestly, I wish it was more of a staple if anything. It's surprisingly hard to find really good Sichuanese food. I've had mapo tofu that ends up tasting more like a poorly done Hunan dish because of an unpleasant sourness and thickened sauce, even in restaurants that claim to be Sichuanese. By far though, one of the best Sichaunese dishes which is unfortunately (and surprisingly) overlooked is their whitefish. If you know you know.
    - bathMarm0t 4y ago
      Tei Feng. The best. Milwaukee does it proper. Szechuan Restaurant on National.
    - astrange 4y ago
      There's an extremely good/authentic Sichuan restaurant in one of the more boring parts of the SF Peninsula (Millbrae) called Yummy Szechuan.
- tamade 4y ago
  Dried peppercorns are found in most Chinese kitchens. It's not used in every dish, but it's certainly a staple in any Chinese pantry. The related Sansho peppercorn is used like black pepper in Japanese cooking.
  - angrais 4y ago
    Dried peppercorns are not necessarily Sichuan peppers, which are distinctly used in Sichuan cuisine. So while it may be a staple in Chinese pantry (and mine too) it is certainly tied to specific cuisine.
  - mytailorisrich 4y ago
    Looks like we're quickly going into semantics but I maintain that it isn't "a staple" of Chinese cuisine in general. It's very regional and many regions will not notice a shortage of them. Bread is a staple of French (and European) cuisine, cayenne pepper is found is found in most kitchens but isn't.
- tlss 4y ago
  Whole Sichuan peppercorns are most prominently used in Sichuan cooking where they can be the star of a dish (e.g. mapo tofu). However, the powder form is a central ingredient in the so-called "Five Spices" mix: - star anise - fennel - cinnamon - clove - sichuan peppercorns This "five spices" powder is used very often in Northern Chinese cooking as a meat or tofu rub. In addition, sichuan peppercorns are often used in lushui in the south: https://soupeduprecipes.com/chinese-master-brine-recipe/ https://soupeduprecipes.com/chinese-master-brine-recipe/ and also it can be found in a lot of braising recipes.
twalla 4y ago
Minor nit: Sichuan pepper is not a chili pepper or closely related to black pepper. It's the husk of the fruit of a tree that grows in the region. It's not particularly spicy on its own - the appeal is the numbing, tingling sensation (called málà, literally numbing spiciness) which serves as a complement to the capsaicin-based spiciness that Sichuanese cuisine is known for.
- MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
  Is the numbing sensation similar to that of cloves?
  - ch4s3 4y ago
    Sort of, but not exactly. Cloves contain eugenol which can act as a mild anesthetic. Sichuan peppers contain hydroxy-alpha-sanshool another organic alcohol that is pretty different chemically, I think.
    - krispyfi 4y ago
      "Sanshool" is the Japanese word for a related pepper ("山椒", "sanshō"), combined with the "-ol" (alcohol) suffix.
  - wil421 4y ago
    No it’s more slightly numbing with some kind of electricity or bubbly (Effervescent) feeling.
  - tintedfireglass 4y ago
    cloves are sweet right? cloves have a pleasant taste and they don't taste "spicy" at all. I occasionally chew some cloves as a mouth freshener and I don't feel any overwhelming spicy-ness like black pepper or chilli pepper
    - giraffe_lady 4y ago
      Sichuan peppers are also not spicy at all. They have an intense herbal/mineral/fruity flavor that's hard to find comparisons for but it is nothing like the "heat" you get from any other foods considered hot like chili pepper, black pepper, ginger, raw garlic, etc.
zzbzq 4y ago
Anybody tasted it? Sichuan pepper doesn't just give a tingling feeling, it also tastes really good. Curious if this does, too.
- wawjgreen 4y ago
  Yes it can be ground into a powder and you can cook it alongside any meat dish--it gives the dish a nice, underground-ish taste.
- showerst 4y ago
  These don't taste great on their own (kinda grassy) but they give a more intense pins & needles feeling. They're much stronger than any sane amount of Sichuan pepper -- but shorter lasting, and they change food's flavor in a slightly different way. I can't quite describe how, as I've only had them with a specific cocktail at Mcclellans Retreat in DC. I'd recommend it if you're ever nearby, cool drink and it's also a great neighborhood cocktail bar.
hvs 4y ago
I only recently became aware of the Sichuan "pepper" or at least its effects. Maybe I had somehow managed to never get it in large enough quantities to notice (I have certainly eaten Sichuan/Szechuan food many times in my life), but a recent experience with a a Sichuan dish that had a lot of Sichuan oil in it gave me the full mouth-numbing experience. I have to say I have been hooked ever since.
- BashiBazouk 4y ago
  For decades Sichuan pepper was loosely banned then required to be heated to import in to the US (and likely other countries) because of a fear of citrus canker and the heat killed the numbing chemical. That has changed but you still need properly prepared and relatively fresh husks to get the effect. I've eaten Sichuan food my entire life but never had anything numbing until I went to China.
  - hvs 4y ago
    I've since bought Sichuan peppercorns from a local Asian grocery store and made my own oil and have gotten a good effect.
  - jayceedenton 4y ago
    > you still need properly prepared and relatively fresh husks to get the effect In the UK here. I've found that any old bag of dried, ground, Sichuan pepper, or dried Sichuan pepper corns that you grind yourself, will cause the effect. No need for 'proper preparation' or freshness, just sprinkle Sichuan pepper on the food. The pepper is greenish in colour. Just add liberally and you'll get the numbness.
    - BashiBazouk 4y ago
      I bought a jar from my local high end gourmet market and got nothing from them. Then bought some off Penzeys and not only do I get the numbing effect but the husks have an intense fruity flavor that is not present in the other brand.
ConfusedDog 4y ago
I was wondering about what Sichuan Pepper is. It's Huajiao. Yeah. I loved the numbing effect along with other actual hot peppers for hot pot. My Chinese ex, however, loved it so much literally got stomach ulcer and later also had Cholangitis and had to have surgery. It's a lot of pain, so please do not over indulge.
- firekvz 4y ago
  Im sorry for laughing at your comment, it was fun to read and now Im wondering how much does it affect on general population, surely chinese population must have a huge % of people with ulcers at the very least
  - wawjgreen 4y ago
    They do as far as my observation can be a valid evidence. A decade ago when I went to a hospital in China, the line to the ailments of the stomach and intestine was the longest, and this was true in several hospital across different provinces.
wil421 4y ago
I grow these and you can find them on rareseeds.com known as toothache plant. They are also know a Sichuan Buttons. It’s fun giving them to guests. This year some bugs got to them but I think they will recover. I wanted to make a cocktail with them.
- kaycebasques 4y ago
  Great tip, thank you. Would love to grow some. Any lessons learned regarding how to care for them / things to avoid?
  - wil421 4y ago
    Don’t overcrowd them and watch out for insects. They don’t seem to mind the heat once established. I started them inside and I should’ve used a larger container. They overgrew the seed start containers fast.
- silicon2401 4y ago
  any tips on creating cocktail recipes, or good cocktails to make at a party? I want to learn to make fun cocktails now that the standard starting price of a cocktail in the DC area is $12-15 (way too expensive for my taste) but don't know how to start. Buying liquor is easy because it can be used in different cocktails, but I want to avoid spending a lot for some ingredient that only works in a single recipe
  - munificent 4y ago
    To learn, I'd suggest: 1. Buy a cocktail book. I got one ages ago, so I'm not sure what I'd recommend today. 2. Pick one cocktail that you like and get the ingredients for it. Master it. 3. Slowly branch out to nearby cocktails that only vary by an ingredient or two. 4. Keep exploring that way. Like other culinary stuff, cocktails tend to be organized into a large web of related drinks. So once you pick a starting point, you can just incrementally explore the graph without having to buy a pile of ingredients. Eventually you will amass a pile of ingredients. But, fortunately, most last a very long time. As far as a party goes, it depends a lot on your guests. In particular, their age. Cocktails go through fashion cycles like everything else and younger guests are more dialed in to those so will probably prefer whatever cocktails are big right now. I'm too old to know what that is but I know mules got super popular for a while. Older guests will generally have a standby or two that they know they like. If you just want to ensure everyone has a good time, I'd get sufficient beer and wine and then pick a popular cocktail or two. Anyone who doesn't like those particular cocktails can simply default to beer or wine. If you want to have a "cocktail party" where everyone is encouraged to focus on those, then good coverage would be: 1. Something sweet and fruity for those who don't like a strong liquor taste. Cosmopolitans are good for this. Tropical drinks like mai tais can be good too, though rum might be too strong for some. 2. Something long for people who want a lighter, larger drink. "Long" means mixed with a carbonated beverage. This could be as simple as a Jack and coke or fancier like a Tom Collins. Gin and tonics are great. 3. Something whiskey-based. People who like whiskey really like whiskey. Old fashioneds work well or manhattans if you're a little more adventurous. Talking to bartenders when you're at a bar is always great way to learn more. Just try not to bug them if they're clearly busy attending to patrons.
ryangittins 4y ago
I once had these in a speakeasy in downtown Louisville, KY with a cocktail called "Acid Cat Spirit Guide." We ordered a round of them and all the guy said was, "eat the flower and drink the drink." It was a pretty fun experience! The flower itself does not taste good—very grassy with an unpleasant texture—but the numbing effect was really fun, especially experienced as group. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea
- showerst 4y ago
  Mcclellans Retreat in DC also does a cocktail with them. Cool to see that's a trend.
giraffe_lady 4y ago
There's also a prickly ash native (I think) to the american midwest. It must be pretty closely related to the sichuan one because the husks look very similar and have the same tingly property, though the other flavors are muted in comparison. It's equivalent to mediocre quality imported sichuan pepper. I used to forage it back when we could only get the really shitty stuff in the states, though I haven't gone looking for it for years now since we can get the high quality easily these days.
kaycebasques 4y ago
Jambu!! My wife and I are obsessed with this stuff, hah. We went to north Brazil (near Fortaleza) to spend time with her family. Her stepdad kept trying to find cachaça (pronounced "cashasa") infused jambu for me to try. No luck. Even in Brazil jambu is not that well known and is hard to find. It's easier to get in the north (closer to where it grows supposedly). We've been doing a running poll where we ask all her Brazilian friends, family, etc if they've tried jambu and most have never heard of it. Back to our time in north Brazil: eventually we're at a wonderful gourmet restaurant and we ask if they have any jambu and the waiter goes to the kitchen and comes back with the chef. Not only did they have a quality cachaça with jambu for us to try but the chef also prepared a jambu flower with some kind of oil. My whole mouth got numb. Also if you find yourself quite drunk the first time you try cachaça with jambu (like I was) take care to only have a little sip because a big one could make you throw up. Side note Brazilians call the "pins and needles" sensation of having a leg fall asleep "formigando" which comes from their word for ants ("formiga"). In other words instead of "pins and needles" they think of it as ants crawling on your leg. Anywho jambu is definitely an experience and Brazil is a very cool place. Also you can gain brownie points with Brasilians by spelling Brasil with an "s" ;D
- marcodiego 4y ago
  I'm from Fortaleza and never heard about Jambu before. I actually thought it was Jambo misspelled. Everything you said about Brazil seems true to me. And for anyone thinking about visiting us: people from here a very receptive, especially with curious and respectful tourists.
- muaytimbo 4y ago
  Probably more widely available in Manaus than Fortaleza.
- marcosdumay 4y ago
  Well, Fortaleza is on the North-East, not North. As you said, you will only find jambu on the North. I have no idea why people don't ship it around.
- eliseumds 4y ago
IG_Semmelweiss 4y ago
Visiting the deep amazon during COVID, I literally ate too much stuff (one of those nice, AYCA amazon lodges). Every date, I mixed all kinds of delicious things in a buffett setting, and constantly loaded with carbs. It was vacation, after all. I normally do intermittent fasting and stay away from carbs during the work week. I don't do buffet and usually don't have 2 daily meals, let alone 3. So, after 2-3 days of repeating the feast -3 times a day-, my stomach and intestines finally went on strike. I ended up with a strong reaction with a loose stool. 2 days later, it would still not go away. It was constant. I was chained to the bathroom. The rest of the family didn't overeat + mix everything, so naturally they were totally fine. Finally on the 3rd day, I gave up on waiting it out and asked for help from our jungle guide. He told me to have oregano tea, so had 2 cups. The change was instantaneous. Just like the article, all the locals from the amazon knew this was the standard remedy for diarrhea. I googled this afterwards. None of the top hits for home remedy for diarrhea even mentioned oregano tea once in their articles. A medical dietitian had a 1 word link back to diarrhea in a "oregano health benefits" article [1]. Its crazy how ignorant we are of natural methods, and makes me wonder what other wonderful natural medicines are waiting to be re-discovered in the amazon. [1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266259 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266259
- kaycebasques 4y ago
  Where did you go in the Amazon and how did you get there? I was surprised to learn that not many Brazilians have ever been to the Amazon. But it makes sense once you realize that it's hard to get there and it takes a long time.
  - d0100 4y ago
    There isn't much to do there if you aren't a fan of raw wilderness and extreme heat Brazil has too many nice vacation places and the Amazon isn't it
    - marcodiego 4y ago
      > There isn't much to do there if you aren't a fan of raw wilderness and extreme heat Mostly this. If you want to see exotic animals, you'll be probably more comfortable on a Zoo. Favorite touristic points of Brazil seems to be northeast beach or coldest parts of the south. I was in vacation in Florianopolis, a capital city in the south, in 2019 and every time I said I was from the northeast they asked me: "and why are you wasting your vacation here?"
twostorytower 4y ago
Does anyone know where we could order jambu (for cooking with) in the US?
- cwkoss 4y ago
  I'm also interested!
- safeimp 4y ago
  I found a site that lists them but they’re too expensive/in too large of quantity for something I’m only interested in sampling: https://www.marxfoods.com/Sechuan-Buttons-Buzz-Button https://www.marxfoods.com/Sechuan-Buttons-Buzz-Button If anybody has a source I’d be curious.
  - alach11 4y ago
    Who wants to split a bag with me?
mmanfrin 4y ago
This title is a little weird considering that these are sometimes called sichuan buttons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea
tambourine_man 4y ago
You might want to listen to this song while you taste it. Its lyrics are a homage to Jambu: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ETqUAfnN47M https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ETqUAfnN47M
- kaycebasques 4y ago
  Liniker also has a reference to jambu but it's only a passing reference and not the main theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bVTGFkayqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bVTGFkayqw
  - tambourine_man 4y ago
    Nice to see Liniker being recognized outside of Brazil
    - Kaze404 4y ago
      I saw her live a few weeks ago on her latest tour and wow… Her performance is absolutely breathtaking. To any bystander reading this, if you ever have the opportunity it’s a must.
joking 4y ago
Nice, now I have the urgent need to go to one of the true Chinese restaurants that I know, the sichuan style beef maybe is not the same that you are going to find in china, but it’s really different enough from the rest of Chinese restaurants that I know
dedemenezes 4y ago
kolencherry 4y ago
Ah! Acmella oleracea — also known as a Szechuan Button. Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas famously does an off-menu cocktail with Jambú called The Verbena.
NelsonMinar 4y ago
Does it have the same perceived 50 hertz frequency as Sichuan pepper? https://www.science.org/content/article/tuning-buzz-peppers https://www.science.org/content/article/tuning-buzz-peppers
- dmmartins 4y ago
  Brazil electricity is 60 hertz, so I guess it'd be a bit different :)
Sporktacular 4y ago
It was exported to the Indian Ocean in colonial times too. It's known as Anamalo in some Creole languages.
TheCowboy 4y ago
If people are interested in trying something different, they also mention cachaça. Sometimes called "Brazilian rum" which is a bit inaccurate. It's getting easier to find, but it's still best to avoid the cheap versions (such as the 51 brand which is terrible). Look for restaurants serving a cocktail called a caipirinha, which is the national drink of Brazil, as the best intro.
- thiagocsf 4y ago
  Try also “batida”: equal parts cachaça, lime (not lemon!) juice, water, and sugar to taste. Great in small sips as a palate cleanser when having bbq.
Nihilartikel 4y ago
I was a bit obsessed with Sichuan peppercorns a few years back.. If one wants to have a good introduction to them, Huang Fei Hong Spicy Peanuts are on Amazon and many asian grocers.. they consistently have fresh and numbing pods mixed in. I've never got good numbing Sichuan peppercorns retail in the US, but have gotten some really strong ones off of Amazon.
- davidgould 4y ago
  Try the Mala Market 0]. They have really good Sichuan products that are hard to find in the US. The quality is really good as they are a low volume business and travel to China to pick specific items. They definitely charge for this, but the quality for some things is well worth it. I use them for things I can't get locally like rapeseed oil (caiziyou) or where the quality is wildly better like Sichuan peppercorns, Facing Heaven chiles, extra aged Pixian Douban Jiang. They used to be the source for Yibin Yacai, but now you can find that on Amazon and finally one of the local Chinatown grocers started carrying that for about 1/4th the cost. [0] https://themalamarket.com https://themalamarket.com
thiagocsf 4y ago
Great read! Reminded me of tucupi, which has been popular for longer, and also causes a numbing sensation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucupi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucupi
zakki 4y ago
In Indonesia Jambu is the name for both guava and Watery rose apple.
thematrixturtle 4y ago
> similar to – but stronger than – the Chinese spice Most Sichuan peppers sold in the West have been sitting around for years and have barely any numbing effect. There are also two different common varieties: the one almost always seen in the West is Zanthoxylum bungeanum, the red Sichuan pepper (红花椒), but in China they also use a lot of Zanthoxylum armatum aka green Sichuan peppers (麻椒 or 青花椒). The green ones are much more strongly numbing and can even be eaten fresh (藤椒), with an effect not unlike putting Pop Rocks into your food! I've also always felt that "numbing" is a wholly inadequate translation for 麻, which in Chinese is also used for anesthesia, the hemp plant, etc. It doesn't just numb your taste buds, but alters them: for me even plain water tastes thick and salty afterwards.
culi 4y ago
I've tried and failed to get these to germinate twice now. Guess its time for round 3

175 points by Stratoscope 4y ago

Jambu taste/effect is very weird but very pleasurable. I really hope it launches and get popular.. I live in south of Brazil and NONE of my local friends ever tried or heard about it.

mytailorisrich 4y ago

I wouldn't call Sichuan pepper a stipple of Chinese cuisine. Its use is very regional.

bpodgursky 4y ago
True, but I'd say it's a staple of international/exported Chinese cuisine.
- lofatdairy 4y ago
  Honestly, I wish it was more of a staple if anything. It's surprisingly hard to find really good Sichuanese food. I've had mapo tofu that ends up tasting more like a poorly done Hunan dish because of an unpleasant sourness and thickened sauce, even in restaurants that claim to be Sichuanese. By far though, one of the best Sichaunese dishes which is unfortunately (and surprisingly) overlooked is their whitefish. If you know you know.
  - bathMarm0t 4y ago
    Tei Feng. The best. Milwaukee does it proper. Szechuan Restaurant on National.
  - astrange 4y ago
    There's an extremely good/authentic Sichuan restaurant in one of the more boring parts of the SF Peninsula (Millbrae) called Yummy Szechuan.
tamade 4y ago
Dried peppercorns are found in most Chinese kitchens. It's not used in every dish, but it's certainly a staple in any Chinese pantry. The related Sansho peppercorn is used like black pepper in Japanese cooking.
- angrais 4y ago
  Dried peppercorns are not necessarily Sichuan peppers, which are distinctly used in Sichuan cuisine. So while it may be a staple in Chinese pantry (and mine too) it is certainly tied to specific cuisine.
- mytailorisrich 4y ago
  Looks like we're quickly going into semantics but I maintain that it isn't "a staple" of Chinese cuisine in general. It's very regional and many regions will not notice a shortage of them. Bread is a staple of French (and European) cuisine, cayenne pepper is found is found in most kitchens but isn't.
tlss 4y ago
Whole Sichuan peppercorns are most prominently used in Sichuan cooking where they can be the star of a dish (e.g. mapo tofu). However, the powder form is a central ingredient in the so-called "Five Spices" mix: - star anise - fennel - cinnamon - clove - sichuan peppercorns This "five spices" powder is used very often in Northern Chinese cooking as a meat or tofu rub. In addition, sichuan peppercorns are often used in lushui in the south: https://soupeduprecipes.com/chinese-master-brine-recipe/ https://soupeduprecipes.com/chinese-master-brine-recipe/ and also it can be found in a lot of braising recipes.

twalla 4y ago

Minor nit: Sichuan pepper is not a chili pepper or closely related to black pepper. It's the husk of the fruit of a tree that grows in the region. It's not particularly spicy on its own - the appeal is the numbing, tingling sensation (called málà, literally numbing spiciness) which serves as a complement to the capsaicin-based spiciness that Sichuanese cuisine is known for.

MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
Is the numbing sensation similar to that of cloves?
- ch4s3 4y ago
  Sort of, but not exactly. Cloves contain eugenol which can act as a mild anesthetic. Sichuan peppers contain hydroxy-alpha-sanshool another organic alcohol that is pretty different chemically, I think.
  - krispyfi 4y ago
    "Sanshool" is the Japanese word for a related pepper ("山椒", "sanshō"), combined with the "-ol" (alcohol) suffix.
- wil421 4y ago
  No it’s more slightly numbing with some kind of electricity or bubbly (Effervescent) feeling.
- tintedfireglass 4y ago
  cloves are sweet right? cloves have a pleasant taste and they don't taste "spicy" at all. I occasionally chew some cloves as a mouth freshener and I don't feel any overwhelming spicy-ness like black pepper or chilli pepper
  - giraffe_lady 4y ago
    Sichuan peppers are also not spicy at all. They have an intense herbal/mineral/fruity flavor that's hard to find comparisons for but it is nothing like the "heat" you get from any other foods considered hot like chili pepper, black pepper, ginger, raw garlic, etc.

zzbzq 4y ago

Anybody tasted it? Sichuan pepper doesn't just give a tingling feeling, it also tastes really good. Curious if this does, too.

wawjgreen 4y ago
Yes it can be ground into a powder and you can cook it alongside any meat dish--it gives the dish a nice, underground-ish taste.
showerst 4y ago
These don't taste great on their own (kinda grassy) but they give a more intense pins & needles feeling. They're much stronger than any sane amount of Sichuan pepper -- but shorter lasting, and they change food's flavor in a slightly different way. I can't quite describe how, as I've only had them with a specific cocktail at Mcclellans Retreat in DC. I'd recommend it if you're ever nearby, cool drink and it's also a great neighborhood cocktail bar.

hvs 4y ago

I only recently became aware of the Sichuan "pepper" or at least its effects. Maybe I had somehow managed to never get it in large enough quantities to notice (I have certainly eaten Sichuan/Szechuan food many times in my life), but a recent experience with a a Sichuan dish that had a lot of Sichuan oil in it gave me the full mouth-numbing experience. I have to say I have been hooked ever since.

BashiBazouk 4y ago
For decades Sichuan pepper was loosely banned then required to be heated to import in to the US (and likely other countries) because of a fear of citrus canker and the heat killed the numbing chemical. That has changed but you still need properly prepared and relatively fresh husks to get the effect. I've eaten Sichuan food my entire life but never had anything numbing until I went to China.
- hvs 4y ago
  I've since bought Sichuan peppercorns from a local Asian grocery store and made my own oil and have gotten a good effect.
- jayceedenton 4y ago
  > you still need properly prepared and relatively fresh husks to get the effect In the UK here. I've found that any old bag of dried, ground, Sichuan pepper, or dried Sichuan pepper corns that you grind yourself, will cause the effect. No need for 'proper preparation' or freshness, just sprinkle Sichuan pepper on the food. The pepper is greenish in colour. Just add liberally and you'll get the numbness.
  - BashiBazouk 4y ago
    I bought a jar from my local high end gourmet market and got nothing from them. Then bought some off Penzeys and not only do I get the numbing effect but the husks have an intense fruity flavor that is not present in the other brand.

ConfusedDog 4y ago

I was wondering about what Sichuan Pepper is. It's Huajiao. Yeah. I loved the numbing effect along with other actual hot peppers for hot pot. My Chinese ex, however, loved it so much literally got stomach ulcer and later also had Cholangitis and had to have surgery. It's a lot of pain, so please do not over indulge.

firekvz 4y ago
Im sorry for laughing at your comment, it was fun to read and now Im wondering how much does it affect on general population, surely chinese population must have a huge % of people with ulcers at the very least
- wawjgreen 4y ago
  They do as far as my observation can be a valid evidence. A decade ago when I went to a hospital in China, the line to the ailments of the stomach and intestine was the longest, and this was true in several hospital across different provinces.

wil421 4y ago

I grow these and you can find them on rareseeds.com known as toothache plant. They are also know a Sichuan Buttons. It’s fun giving them to guests. This year some bugs got to them but I think they will recover. I wanted to make a cocktail with them.

kaycebasques 4y ago
Great tip, thank you. Would love to grow some. Any lessons learned regarding how to care for them / things to avoid?
- wil421 4y ago
  Don’t overcrowd them and watch out for insects. They don’t seem to mind the heat once established. I started them inside and I should’ve used a larger container. They overgrew the seed start containers fast.
silicon2401 4y ago
any tips on creating cocktail recipes, or good cocktails to make at a party? I want to learn to make fun cocktails now that the standard starting price of a cocktail in the DC area is $12-15 (way too expensive for my taste) but don't know how to start. Buying liquor is easy because it can be used in different cocktails, but I want to avoid spending a lot for some ingredient that only works in a single recipe
- munificent 4y ago
  To learn, I'd suggest: 1. Buy a cocktail book. I got one ages ago, so I'm not sure what I'd recommend today. 2. Pick one cocktail that you like and get the ingredients for it. Master it. 3. Slowly branch out to nearby cocktails that only vary by an ingredient or two. 4. Keep exploring that way. Like other culinary stuff, cocktails tend to be organized into a large web of related drinks. So once you pick a starting point, you can just incrementally explore the graph without having to buy a pile of ingredients. Eventually you will amass a pile of ingredients. But, fortunately, most last a very long time. As far as a party goes, it depends a lot on your guests. In particular, their age. Cocktails go through fashion cycles like everything else and younger guests are more dialed in to those so will probably prefer whatever cocktails are big right now. I'm too old to know what that is but I know mules got super popular for a while. Older guests will generally have a standby or two that they know they like. If you just want to ensure everyone has a good time, I'd get sufficient beer and wine and then pick a popular cocktail or two. Anyone who doesn't like those particular cocktails can simply default to beer or wine. If you want to have a "cocktail party" where everyone is encouraged to focus on those, then good coverage would be: 1. Something sweet and fruity for those who don't like a strong liquor taste. Cosmopolitans are good for this. Tropical drinks like mai tais can be good too, though rum might be too strong for some. 2. Something long for people who want a lighter, larger drink. "Long" means mixed with a carbonated beverage. This could be as simple as a Jack and coke or fancier like a Tom Collins. Gin and tonics are great. 3. Something whiskey-based. People who like whiskey really like whiskey. Old fashioneds work well or manhattans if you're a little more adventurous. Talking to bartenders when you're at a bar is always great way to learn more. Just try not to bug them if they're clearly busy attending to patrons.

ryangittins 4y ago

I once had these in a speakeasy in downtown Louisville, KY with a cocktail called "Acid Cat Spirit Guide." We ordered a round of them and all the guy said was, "eat the flower and drink the drink." It was a pretty fun experience! The flower itself does not taste good—very grassy with an unpleasant texture—but the numbing effect was really fun, especially experienced as group. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea

showerst 4y ago
Mcclellans Retreat in DC also does a cocktail with them. Cool to see that's a trend.

giraffe_lady 4y ago

There's also a prickly ash native (I think) to the american midwest. It must be pretty closely related to the sichuan one because the husks look very similar and have the same tingly property, though the other flavors are muted in comparison. It's equivalent to mediocre quality imported sichuan pepper. I used to forage it back when we could only get the really shitty stuff in the states, though I haven't gone looking for it for years now since we can get the high quality easily these days.

kaycebasques 4y ago

Jambu!! My wife and I are obsessed with this stuff, hah. We went to north Brazil (near Fortaleza) to spend time with her family. Her stepdad kept trying to find cachaça (pronounced "cashasa") infused jambu for me to try. No luck. Even in Brazil jambu is not that well known and is hard to find. It's easier to get in the north (closer to where it grows supposedly). We've been doing a running poll where we ask all her Brazilian friends, family, etc if they've tried jambu and most have never heard of it. Back to our time in north Brazil: eventually we're at a wonderful gourmet restaurant and we ask if they have any jambu and the waiter goes to the kitchen and comes back with the chef. Not only did they have a quality cachaça with jambu for us to try but the chef also prepared a jambu flower with some kind of oil. My whole mouth got numb. Also if you find yourself quite drunk the first time you try cachaça with jambu (like I was) take care to only have a little sip because a big one could make you throw up. Side note Brazilians call the "pins and needles" sensation of having a leg fall asleep "formigando" which comes from their word for ants ("formiga"). In other words instead of "pins and needles" they think of it as ants crawling on your leg. Anywho jambu is definitely an experience and Brazil is a very cool place. Also you can gain brownie points with Brasilians by spelling Brasil with an "s" ;D

marcodiego 4y ago
I'm from Fortaleza and never heard about Jambu before. I actually thought it was Jambo misspelled. Everything you said about Brazil seems true to me. And for anyone thinking about visiting us: people from here a very receptive, especially with curious and respectful tourists.
muaytimbo 4y ago
Probably more widely available in Manaus than Fortaleza.
marcosdumay 4y ago
Well, Fortaleza is on the North-East, not North. As you said, you will only find jambu on the North. I have no idea why people don't ship it around.
eliseumds 4y ago

IG_Semmelweiss 4y ago

Visiting the deep amazon during COVID, I literally ate too much stuff (one of those nice, AYCA amazon lodges). Every date, I mixed all kinds of delicious things in a buffett setting, and constantly loaded with carbs. It was vacation, after all. I normally do intermittent fasting and stay away from carbs during the work week. I don't do buffet and usually don't have 2 daily meals, let alone 3. So, after 2-3 days of repeating the feast -3 times a day-, my stomach and intestines finally went on strike. I ended up with a strong reaction with a loose stool. 2 days later, it would still not go away. It was constant. I was chained to the bathroom. The rest of the family didn't overeat + mix everything, so naturally they were totally fine. Finally on the 3rd day, I gave up on waiting it out and asked for help from our jungle guide. He told me to have oregano tea, so had 2 cups. The change was instantaneous. Just like the article, all the locals from the amazon knew this was the standard remedy for diarrhea. I googled this afterwards. None of the top hits for home remedy for diarrhea even mentioned oregano tea once in their articles. A medical dietitian had a 1 word link back to diarrhea in a "oregano health benefits" article [1]. Its crazy how ignorant we are of natural methods, and makes me wonder what other wonderful natural medicines are waiting to be re-discovered in the amazon. [1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266259 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266259

kaycebasques 4y ago
Where did you go in the Amazon and how did you get there? I was surprised to learn that not many Brazilians have ever been to the Amazon. But it makes sense once you realize that it's hard to get there and it takes a long time.
- d0100 4y ago
  There isn't much to do there if you aren't a fan of raw wilderness and extreme heat Brazil has too many nice vacation places and the Amazon isn't it
  - marcodiego 4y ago
    > There isn't much to do there if you aren't a fan of raw wilderness and extreme heat Mostly this. If you want to see exotic animals, you'll be probably more comfortable on a Zoo. Favorite touristic points of Brazil seems to be northeast beach or coldest parts of the south. I was in vacation in Florianopolis, a capital city in the south, in 2019 and every time I said I was from the northeast they asked me: "and why are you wasting your vacation here?"

twostorytower 4y ago

Does anyone know where we could order jambu (for cooking with) in the US?

cwkoss 4y ago
I'm also interested!
safeimp 4y ago
I found a site that lists them but they’re too expensive/in too large of quantity for something I’m only interested in sampling: https://www.marxfoods.com/Sechuan-Buttons-Buzz-Button https://www.marxfoods.com/Sechuan-Buttons-Buzz-Button If anybody has a source I’d be curious.
- alach11 4y ago
  Who wants to split a bag with me?

mmanfrin 4y ago

This title is a little weird considering that these are sometimes called sichuan buttons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea

tambourine_man 4y ago

You might want to listen to this song while you taste it. Its lyrics are a homage to Jambu: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ETqUAfnN47M https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ETqUAfnN47M

kaycebasques 4y ago
Liniker also has a reference to jambu but it's only a passing reference and not the main theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bVTGFkayqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bVTGFkayqw
- tambourine_man 4y ago
  Nice to see Liniker being recognized outside of Brazil
  - Kaze404 4y ago
    I saw her live a few weeks ago on her latest tour and wow… Her performance is absolutely breathtaking. To any bystander reading this, if you ever have the opportunity it’s a must.

joking 4y ago

Nice, now I have the urgent need to go to one of the true Chinese restaurants that I know, the sichuan style beef maybe is not the same that you are going to find in china, but it’s really different enough from the rest of Chinese restaurants that I know

dedemenezes 4y ago

kolencherry 4y ago

Ah! Acmella oleracea — also known as a Szechuan Button. Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas famously does an off-menu cocktail with Jambú called The Verbena.

NelsonMinar 4y ago

Does it have the same perceived 50 hertz frequency as Sichuan pepper? https://www.science.org/content/article/tuning-buzz-peppers https://www.science.org/content/article/tuning-buzz-peppers

dmmartins 4y ago
Brazil electricity is 60 hertz, so I guess it'd be a bit different :)

Sporktacular 4y ago

It was exported to the Indian Ocean in colonial times too. It's known as Anamalo in some Creole languages.

TheCowboy 4y ago

If people are interested in trying something different, they also mention cachaça. Sometimes called "Brazilian rum" which is a bit inaccurate. It's getting easier to find, but it's still best to avoid the cheap versions (such as the 51 brand which is terrible). Look for restaurants serving a cocktail called a caipirinha, which is the national drink of Brazil, as the best intro.

thiagocsf 4y ago
Try also “batida”: equal parts cachaça, lime (not lemon!) juice, water, and sugar to taste. Great in small sips as a palate cleanser when having bbq.

Nihilartikel 4y ago

I was a bit obsessed with Sichuan peppercorns a few years back.. If one wants to have a good introduction to them, Huang Fei Hong Spicy Peanuts are on Amazon and many asian grocers.. they consistently have fresh and numbing pods mixed in. I've never got good numbing Sichuan peppercorns retail in the US, but have gotten some really strong ones off of Amazon.

davidgould 4y ago
Try the Mala Market 0]. They have really good Sichuan products that are hard to find in the US. The quality is really good as they are a low volume business and travel to China to pick specific items. They definitely charge for this, but the quality for some things is well worth it. I use them for things I can't get locally like rapeseed oil (caiziyou) or where the quality is wildly better like Sichuan peppercorns, Facing Heaven chiles, extra aged Pixian Douban Jiang. They used to be the source for Yibin Yacai, but now you can find that on Amazon and finally one of the local Chinatown grocers started carrying that for about 1/4th the cost. [0] https://themalamarket.com https://themalamarket.com

thiagocsf 4y ago

Great read! Reminded me of tucupi, which has been popular for longer, and also causes a numbing sensation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucupi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucupi

zakki 4y ago

In Indonesia Jambu is the name for both guava and Watery rose apple.

thematrixturtle 4y ago

> similar to – but stronger than – the Chinese spice Most Sichuan peppers sold in the West have been sitting around for years and have barely any numbing effect. There are also two different common varieties: the one almost always seen in the West is Zanthoxylum bungeanum, the red Sichuan pepper (红花椒), but in China they also use a lot of Zanthoxylum armatum aka green Sichuan peppers (麻椒 or 青花椒). The green ones are much more strongly numbing and can even be eaten fresh (藤椒), with an effect not unlike putting Pop Rocks into your food! I've also always felt that "numbing" is a wholly inadequate translation for 麻, which in Chinese is also used for anesthesia, the hemp plant, etc. It doesn't just numb your taste buds, but alters them: for me even plain water tastes thick and salty afterwards.

culi 4y ago

I've tried and failed to get these to germinate twice now. Guess its time for round 3