The curious, anaesthetising charm of Sichuan peppers
Like some other adventurous foods, they expand your sense of what eating can do to you
“POLYSEMOUS” describes a word with several meanings, such as “run”, “set”, or, in the kitchen, “pepper”. That term encompasses the entire Capsicum annuum family, from vegetal green bell peppers to searing little Thai chillies. It includes dried, powdered Piperaceae berries, known as black and white pepper, as well as one of the strangest and most addictive spices in the world: Zanthoxylum simulans, more commonly known as Sichuan pepper.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Comfortably numb”
From the July 1st 2023 edition
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