What You Need to Know
The process involves low heat extraction of Sichuan peppercorns, which contain hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, a compound responsible for their numbing and slightly spicy flavor. This technique requires careful temperature control to preserve the desired flavor compounds.
Steps
- 1.
Sichuan Hot Pot (Chongqing): Provides the signature ma la (numbing-spicy) base
- 2.
Liangban Chicken (Sichuan): Creates the tingling mouthfeel in cold dishes
- 3.
Shui Zhu Yu (Water-Boiled Fish) (Sichuan): Forms the aromatic oil topping that carries sanshool compounds
The Science
Primary Reaction
Solvent extraction