Numbing and tingling

Numbing spices create a tingling, buzzing feeling on the lips and tongue. Sichuan pepper is the best known, with timur, sansho and the Indonesian andaliman as relatives.

What makes them numbing

Sichuan pepper and its relatives contain hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, a compound that stimulates touch nerves, giving a tingle like a mild electric buzz. It is not a flavour in the usual sense but a sensation.

How cooks use them

In Sichuan cooking, ma, the numbing, is paired with la, the heat of chilli, in mapo tofu and hot pot. Japanese cooks use sansho with grilled eel, Nepali cooks use timur in pickles, and Batak cooks in Indonesia use andaliman.

Tips

Toast and grind the husks only, removing seeds and thorns, as the seeds are gritty. The sensation fades after a few minutes.