If you’re looking for the best aroma and numbing sensation from Sichuan pepper, grind your own powder! It’s quick, easy and tastes so much better.
Sichuan pepper (Huā Jiāo, 花椒, aka Szechuan pepper or Chinese pepper) is one of the most important spices used in the Chinese kitchen. It has a powerful aroma and creates a unique numbing sensation in your mouth. Apart from being used as whole for stir-fries, braised dishes & hot pot, ground Sichuan pepper plays an important role in seasoning Chinese delicacies.
The fresher the better
For optimal taste, it’s always best to use freshly ground Sichuan pepper, particularly when you prepare “Málà/麻辣” dishes that demand a strong numbing effect. Shop-bought Sichuan pepper powder may seem convenient but the flavour is often compromised. I routinely grind my own powder as it’s quick, easy and tastes so much better.
A common mistake
Before we get into the recipe, let me talk about a common mistake people make when it comes to grinding Sichuan peppercorns. One of my friends once complained: “My ground Sichuan pepper tastes like sand. So gritty!” Later I found out that she put Sichuan peppercorns straight into her regular pepper mill to grind over her food. “You shouldn’t have treated it as black pepper.” I said.
Although sharing the word “pepper” in their names, Sichuan pepper is different from black pepper in every way. They are not botanically related. They don’t taste similar. Also, they need to be ground in different ways. The method my friend used doesn’t bring out the best flavour and results in a gritty, sandy texture which could ruin a delicious dish.
Follow 4 steps to grind Sichuan pepper
Now let me explain how to grind it properly. It only takes a few minutes to make your own Sichuan pepper powder. But make sure you follow all the steps.
Step 1: Discard the black seeds
Before you start grinding, make sure you look through the peppercorns and discard any black seeds that you find.
Unlike black/white pepper, only the open husks of Sichuan pepper is used in food. The black seeds (found loose in the package or still inside the husks) are hard and tasteless thus need to be removed. You wouldn’t find many of them when purchasing good quality Sichuan pepper. It could be an issue with poor quality ones.
Step 2: Dry roast without oil
Place Sichuan peppercorns in a cold frying pan. Roast over medium-low heat. Shake the pan back and forward occasionally. Look out for the signs of readiness:
- They start to release the aroma.
- They look a little oily on the surface
Remove them from the hot pan immediately. Overcooking will result in a bitter taste.
Step 3: Let cool then crush
Leave the roasted peppercorns to cool before you grind them. I use my mortar and pestle to do the job. After the roasting and cooling process, the peppercorns become brittle thus very easy to grind. You may also use an electric grinder if you wish.
Step 4: Sift to remove gritty bits
Finally, you need to sift the crushed pepper through a fine-mesh sieve. This is to remove the gritty, sandy bits (from the black seeds and/or the yellow inner parts of the husks). I strongly advise you not to skip this step.
Make a small batch at a time
Sichuan pepper’s aroma and numbing effect decrease over time. Particularly after grinding, it loses its best taste pretty quickly. I suggest you only grind a small amount at a time.
Keep freshly ground Sichuan pepper in airtight containers away from heat & direct sunlight. Use it within two weeks for optimal taste.
Many delicious ways to use it
There are many ways to enjoy the unique taste of ground Sichuan pepper. Here is a list of examples:
- Mix it into the aromatic dressing for Mouth-Watering Chicken
- Sprinkle it over the addictive Mapo Tofu
- Add it to the irresistible Chongqing Noodles & Dan Dan Noodles
- Brush it over the dough for comforting Scallion Pancakes
- Stir in the delicious Dumpling Fillings
Want to learn more about Sichuan pepper?
I guess some of you might like to know more about this unique Chinese spice. If this is the case, please check out my Complete Guide to Sichuan Pepper which includes answers to over 20 FAQs. Also, you are always welcome to add your questions to the list. I’m very happy to help!
How to grind Sichuan peppercorn
Ingredients
- Whole Sichuan peppercorns
Instructions
- Look through the peppercorns. Discard all the black seeds.
- Toast the peppercorns on low heat until they are fragrant.
- Transfer to a mortar or a spice grinder. Grind when they are completely cool.
- Sift with a sieve. Use the fine powder for recipes.
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Excellent help- Thank you! The peppercorns I picked up at the spice house (online) were pretty seed free, so sorting was quick. First time I have used the peppercorns and the dish turned out so good. Thank you again!
You’re welcome May. Have fun cooking with Sichuan pepper!
i have whole green sichuan peppercorns and plan to make chili oil. a few questions:
for using in oil, should i roast the peppercorns first?
can i simmer the whole peppercorns in the oil BEFORE adding the oil to the crushed peppercorns?
should i put the crushed peppercorns through a sieve and ONLY use the powder for the oil and discard the part that stays in the sieve?
thank you!!
Please check out my recipe for Chinese chilli oil which explains how Sichuan peppercorns are used. Happy cooking!
I’ve been going through your recipes and it’s hard to decide which to try first! They all look great. I am new to Sichuan cooking but love the boiled fish dish in restaurants.
I do have a question about the sifted pepper: do I discard what in the sieve or is that what I use in other recipes?
Hi Carol! After sifting, you should discard what’s left inside the sieve.
Just re-reading this and realised what a muppet I was, and why my tapo dofu didn’t taste as nice.
I had been using the sifted/sandy bits and discarding what was left in the sieve, rather than the other way around.
(smacks forehead with palm)
Hopefully tonights Mapo tofu will taste better
Enjoy your “new” Mapo tofu!
I normally don’t leave comments on websites like this, but I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting this! I have been learning how to cook and have been dabbling in learning about different Asian cuisines. I have started getting used to fermented ingredients since those are well out of my comfort zone as a Hispanic woman raised in the US. I finally decided to give the mala flavor profile a try so I picked up some Sichuan peppercorns. Now I know how to use them right the first time! This’ll be interesting! I can’t wait to experience the tingling/numbing from these peppercorns.
You’re welcome Ellen! It’s great fun discovering new cuisines, right? Happy cooking!
Hi Wei, thank you for this helpful article! I recently started using szechuan peppercorns and enjoy their unique flavor. I just found a tiny dried snail shell in my bag of peppercorns and was wondering if you think that comprises the quality of the peppercorns. Thanks for your help!
I’m not 100% sure as I don’t know exactly how and when the shell went into the bag. But I assume the peppercorn are still ok to be used.
Thank you for the information presented! I am just wondering, if I am to be seasoning a chicken that benefits from the taste and sensation of the peppercorn, do I add the ground peppercorn before or after the cooking process? From what I’ve read, it seems to be after since before would burn the already toasted husks. Correct me if I’m wrong!
Yes Jeff, add ground Sichuan pepper at the end, like how you season Mapo tofu. That said, it can also be used in a marinade too, so that’s before cooking (but the numbing sensation won’t be as noticeable this way).
Very helpful. I made the same mistake by not knowing you need to sieve.
Very happy to know you find my post useful!
Hi, thank you so much for these tips on grinding Sichuan peppercorns. While I have toasted and ground my peppercorns for many years, I never thought to sift them. It’s a huge improvement! The couple of recipes I’ve made since learning this trick have been delicious, and “grit” free! Thank you!
My pleasure Bill! Sometimes a small adjustment can make a big change in taste. Glad you find my post helpful!
I have a package of “dried szchuan pepper” from golden lion brand. Q1: do I skip the pan toasting since they are already dried?
Q2: the back of the package says to soak and wash before use. ?? I’m thinking this may just be a standard food labeling requirement, but not sure?
Hi! Dried Sichuan pepper doesn’t mean it’s already been toasted (There are fresh Sichuan pepper too). The instruction on the package doesn’t make any sense. They shouldn’t to be soaked or washed. If you’re interested, read my complete guide on Sichuan pepper to learn more about this spice.