Step into the Chinese kitchen and you'll find that it's not just a cooking stage, it's more like a magical laboratory. Here, a variety of spices and condiments are skillfully used by the chefs to give each dish a unique soul. When it comes to the spicy taste that people love and fear, it has to be Sichuan pepper, rattan pepper and sesame pepper. They are the "magicians" of Chinese cuisine, which can instantly rejuvenate an ordinary dish.
But don't think that these three "peppers" are as simple as making the dish "spicy". The difference between them is like a delicate paintbrush carefully selecting the pigments on a palette, and the slightest mistake can greatly reduce the taste of the whole dish. The hemp of Sichuan pepper, the fragrance of rattan pepper, and the spicy pepper of pepper, each of which has its own unique charm and applicable scenes. Follow my steps to explore the mystery of the three spices of Sichuan pepper, rattan pepper and sesame pepper, and see what the chefs say and why it is easy to make the dishes "tasteless" if you are not careful.
pepper
Sichuan peppercorns, also known as Sichuan peppercorns or Sichuan peppercorns, are a common spice that originated in China and is widely used in a variety of Asian cuisines. It comes from the fruits of the pepper tree, which are dried after ripening to form what we know as peppercorns. In cooking, Sichuan peppercorns are known for their unique aroma and subtle numbing flavor, which can add flavor to dishes and enrich the flavor.
The taste experience brought by Sichuan pepper is unique, it does not directly bring spiciness like chili pepper, but produces a mild tingling sensation and aroma that stimulates the taste buds and enhances the taste of food. Common use cases include making spicy hot pot, spicy crayfish, and various salapi in Sichuan cuisine.
Wisteria pepper
Rattan pepper is often considered to be a type of peppercorn, but it actually comes from a different plant. Rattan peppers are known for their more intense aroma and mild numbness and are commonly found in dishes of the Southwest. Compared with Sichuan peppercorns, rattan pepper has a more complex taste, with both numb flavor and unique aroma, which can bring a unique flavor to the dish.
In a particular dish, the use of rattan pepper can often enhance the depth of the dish, and its aroma can penetrate into every detail of the dish, making the taste of the whole dish more distinct. Common applications include Chongqing noodles, coleslaw, and barbecue.
Peppercorns
Sesame pepper, in fact, is a common name for a special kind of Sichuan pepper, especially the kind used in Sichuan cuisine, it has a clear difference from ordinary Sichuan pepper and rattan pepper. Produced in Sichuan Province and other places in China, hemp pepper occupies an important place in Sichuan cuisine because of its strong numbness and spicy taste.
The use of sesame pepper in Sichuan cuisine and other dishes is mainly to increase the spicy sensation of the dish, and the numbness it brings is more intense, which can make people feel a sense of irritation on the tongue, and this unique taste makes sesame pepper one of the indispensable seasonings of Sichuan cuisine. Common use scenarios include mapo tofu, boiled fish, and a variety of Sichuan-style stir-fries.
The wrong use of peppers, such as peppercorns, rattan peppers and peppers, can lead to a number of undesirable consequences:
Taste imbalance: Each pepper has a unique flavor, and the wrong choice can lead to an imbalance in the flavor of the dish. For example, an excessive amount of peppercorns may make the dish too numb and lack the layering of other flavors, while the excessive use of rattan pepper may make the aroma of the dish too intense, masking the original flavor of the main ingredient.
Spoiling the character of the dish: Many dishes are unique because of their delicate seasoning, and the wrong use of peppers can ruin the character of these dishes. For example, the correct use of pepper in Sichuan cuisine is to add a characteristic numbness feeling, and if Sichuan pepper is used instead, it may make the dish lose its due character.
Affect appetite and health: Inappropriate use of peppers can not only affect the flavor of the dish, but may also affect appetite and health. For example, for people who can't eat spicy or have allergies to specific peppers, the wrong pepper use may cause discomfort or even an allergic reaction.
Sichuan pepper, rattan pepper and sesame pepper are indispensable seasoning treasures in Chinese cuisine, and their correct use can not only enhance the layering of dishes, but also allow consumers to experience a richer and more diverse taste enjoyment. Each pepper has its own charm, and learning how to master them will take your cooking skills to the next level.