
Sichuan, a regional cuisine from the Sichuan province of China, is not for the faint of heart. It is known as one of the spiciest foods in the world, thanks to the regional Sichuan peppercorn which are actually the dried seed husks of the prickly ash tree. Sichuan peppercorns are called huājiāo in Mandarin which literally translates to “flower pepper.” This is also an accurate description of the taste profile which is that of a pepper with a slightly floral quality.
The intensity of the Sichuan peppercorn yields a unique sensory experience which called Ma La – it simultaneously feels like your mouth is numb but also on fire. “Ma” is the numbing part of the sensation which one feels in their entire mouth when eating the peppercorns – it protects the mouth from the heat, but not entirely. Which brings in “La” which is known to mean the ‘heat of a thousand chiles.’ The combination of the Ma and La sensations is called Ma La (pronounced phonetically).
PS. “ma la” can also mean ‘sexy’ in Mandarin Chinese slang which is akin to saying someone is ‘hot’ in English slang
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Recipe for Sichuan Chicken, Recipe for Gong Bao Chicken | Accidental Epicurean says:
Feb 21, 2013
[…] ingredients are generally easily accessible worldwide. And you can dial up (or down) the “ma la” heat as much as you […]
Insider’s Guide to Singapore’s Chinatown – Restaurants, Shopping, Temples and More… | Accidental Epicurean says:
Jun 21, 2014
[…] green beans topped with minced spicy pork. It’s proper Sichuan spicy, so be warned – the mouth-numbing ma la Sichuan peppercorn is in full force, so maybe it’s best as a dinner choice vs. lunch since your palate […]