Sichuan Flower Pepper

The Sichuanese do not call Sichuan pepper "Sichuan pepper." They call it hua jiao, which means flower pepper, and when you see a perfect specimen of the numbing spice you understand why. The best of the best Sichuan pepper opens into three heart-shaped sections for the appearance of a six-petaled flower. Our new Sichuan Flower Pepper, a special grade da hong pao, has been hand-sorted to include a high percentage of flower-shaped pepper, so we've translated this one literally! 

What to look for in the best Sichuan pepper:

• Large seed pods, fully opened into a flower
• Deep red color
• No seeds or twigs
• From most recent harvest
• Not heat-treated or irradiated

If all these boxes are checked, you can be fairly certain that you will get an immensely flavorful and potent Sichuan peppercorn. Use Flower Pepper when you want to wow both the tastebuds and the eyes. They look particularly good in dishes like stir-fried greens or Chongqing chicken, where their large size makes them easy to spot and eat around. (They also look great floating in a cocktail.)

***

Here's a recent Ruth Reichl haiku from Instagram about our da hong pao Sichuan pepper: "Just opened this package of Sichuan peppercorns. The fragrance! Leapt into the air."

Facing Heaven Crushed Chili

We've said it before and we'll say it again: The la in mala, which refers to chili heat, is far from the only flavor in Sichuan food. So if you can't stand the heat, you do not have to get out of the kitchen! This chili flake made solely from facing heaven chilies will make a mild but tasty chili oil for Sichuan cooking and eating. 
 

Hand-Torn Flat Cabbage With Chinese Sausage and Garlic

This stir-fried cabbage is inspired by a show-stopping version Fongchong and I had in Chengdu last summer. While developing this recipe for Family Day, I discovered a new (to me) vegetable that is also now part of the family. Have you met Taiwanese flat cabbage?
 

Red-Braised Ribs and Radish

There's more to Chinese food than stir-fries! If you're not red-braising this winter, you're missing out on the best of Chinese comfort food. In Sichuan, the "red" comes not just from soy sauce, as elsewhere in China, but from Pixian chili bean paste, which provides an added depth of flavor and tinge of heat.  This red-braised rib dish is definitely where you want to use your 3-year douban vs. the younger stuff. 
 

Hey, Canada! 

We heard you! So many of you want to order from The Mala Market, but we've had a hard time figuring out how to ship to Canada efficiently. We think we've finally sorted it out, and we welcome your orders. Just add your address during checkout and the cart will quote the actual price for shipping via our two countries' postal systems. Packages under 4 pounds (1.8 kg) will ship USPS First Class (by far the most affordable option), while those 4 pounds and over will ship Priority Mail. There's no denying that international shipping is both expensive and relatively slow (think weeks, not days), but it is possible. 

For other international readers, if you'd like us to ship to your country at the going rate just let us know and we'll try to make it happen. 

Production vs. Expiration

Much to our alarm and regret, we are hearing that some of you are seeing the 2019 date stamped on the packaging of some of our products and thinking they are expired. As is Chinese custom, the date stamp is the day the product was manufactured. It is not the expiration date. The best-by date is on the English label of these products. We also explain this in the card we insert with every order, but we apologize for any continuing confusion. Some day we will convince the producers that that dating system doesn't work in the U.S. Until then, here are the products affected:

• Red-Oil Chili Bean Paste
• Sweat Wheat Paste
• Fermented Black Beans
• Yacai (sometimes)
• Zhacai (sometimes)