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EveryMasala

Salts and finishing mixes

Sichuan pepper salt (jiaoyan)

Toasted Sichuan pepper ground with salt, a dry dipping seasoning for fried food.

Jiaoyan, or pepper salt, is a simple Chinese seasoning of Sichuan peppercorn toasted with salt and ground. It is a dry dip for deep-fried and roasted dishes, and is also sold in Taiwan for fried chicken.

What goes in

Sichuan pepper: 33%33%Salt: 50%50%White pepper: 8%Five-spice powder: 8%12parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Dry Pick out the black seeds and stems from the peppercorns.
  2. Step 2: Toast Toast the peppercorns in a dry wok over low heat for about two minutes.
  3. Step 3: Toast Add the salt to the pan and toast with them.
  4. Step 4: Rest Let the mixture cool.
  5. Step 5: Grind Grind in a mortar or spice grinder.
  6. Step 6: Store Sieve out husks and store in a jar.
  7. Sichuan pepper: 33%33%Salt: 50%50%White pepper: 8%Five-spice powder: 8%
    Finished Sichuan pepper salt (jiaoyan), by share.

How it works

Toasting in a dry wok brings out the citrus fragrance of the pepper and takes off a raw edge. The salt carries the oils and keeps the mixture dry. It is sprinkled on at the table or used in a dry coating.

Variants

Some versions add five-spice, white pepper or chilli. In Cantonese cooking, a similar jiaoyan is used with salt and pepper squid.

Where it is used

Fried chickenSalt and pepper squidRoast duck dipTofu

The spices in it

Sichuan pepperCitrus tingle.Black pepperThe dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.

Also part of it, and being written: Salt (Carrier.), Five-spice powder (Optional.).

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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