Some 60,000-year-old wild Sichuan pepper seeds unearthed at the Mengxihe Site in Ziyang, Sichuan province, have helped shed light on Paleolithic human diets that included a spicy and numbing flavor.

You may think from the name that chin jiew gai – Sichuan pepper chicken – is a Sichuan dish, but it’s actually a dish in Chiu Chow (Teochew) cuisine. The spice is quite unusual for Chiu Chow ...

Leave to soak for about 15 minutes, then drain. Put the Sichuan peppercorns in a small strainer and rinse with water, then put them in a small bowl, add water to cover and leave to soak for about ...