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Starter Sichuan Collection
$69
Premium ingredients for creating mala
This Starter Sichuan Collection includes the must-have ingredients for creating má and là, the defining tastes of Sichuan food, plus well-tested and beautifully printed recipe cards for five of Sichuan's most-loved dishes.
“Ma” refers to the tingly, citrusy taste of Sichuan pepper, and our recently harvested, non-heat-treated Sichuan peppercorn is incomparably fresh, fragrant, potent and seedless. “La” refers to the heat of chili pepper, and this kit includes two must-have forms: dried whole facing-heaven zi dan tou chilies for use in stir-fries and braises; and Sichuan fragrant-hot ground chilies, a mix of three kinds of roasted and ground chilies that is ideal for making chili oil, an essential ingredient in cold dishes and sauces.
If Sichuan pepper and chilies are the heart of Sichuan cuisine, then Pixian doubanjiang, or chili bean paste made in Pixian County, is the soul. This kit includes a large package from the oldest and most esteemed maker. The Yi Feng He brand is a small-batch, completely handmade douban aged for three years in earthenware crocks and stirred every one of those 1,000-plus days by hand.
As a bonus, we include a package of Yibin yacai, a mustard-plant pickle used in many Sichuan dishes. Combine this Starter Sichuan Collection with basic Chinese pantry items like Zhongba soy sauce and Baoning vinegar and you can make dozens of authentic dishes.
This collection includes five Mala Market recipe cards to get you started: Sichuan chili oil, mapo doufu, gong bao (kung pao) chicken, dry-fried green beans and dan dan noodles. You'll find dozens more dishes using these ingredients on our recipe blog.
To cook the full range of Sichuan dishes, combine this collection with The Food of Sichuan (2019), the definitive guide and cookbook for Sichuan cuisine.
Use links above to see individual products on this site for more description of each one, including provenance, history, production methods, ingredients and nutrition facts.
If this is a gift, know that our shipments do not include any pricing info. The collection is packaged with red tissue paper and a product storage and usage guide.
History + Honors
The chilies in this collection are grown in Guizhou Province, China’s chili breeding, growing and processing capital. The Sichuan pepper is Sichuan’s most popular variety, loved for its large, flower shape, bright red color and strong fragrance and numbing power. These single-origin spices are always from the most recent harvest. Please read more about our sourcing and testing on each product page.
The Sichuan Pixian doubanjiang is a China Time-Honored Brand that can trace its founding story and lineage back centuries. It also has protected Geographic Indication, meaning its place of origin heavily impacts its taste and authenticity. Finally, its craftsmanship has the status of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, indicating an artisan production process that is a living tradition passed down through generations.
Storage
All products are shelf-stable and can be stored in a cool, dark pantry.
Optionally, once opened, we recommend refrigeration for the doubanjiang and yacai pickle.
Spices and chilies can be frozen for long-term storage.
This collection comes with a printed storage and usage guide.
Allergens
Products in this collection include wheat.
The products are all natural, with no additives or preservatives; the only exception is the yacai pickle.
See individual product pages for a complete listing of ingredients and nutrition facts.
Gong bao ji ding is a fantastic introduction to mala wei, the most iconic of Sichuan cuisine's official complex flavor profiles; it marries mala (Sichuan pepper and chili pepper) with a light sweet-sour sauce
Use the chili oil recipe in the Starter Sichuan Collection or other variations on our recipe site to make the oil that is the foundation for dan dan noodles
Mapo tofu is an example of the jiachang, or "homestyle," official complex flavor profile. Learn more about it on our recipe site, where you'll also find a recipe for this mapo eggplant noodles variation
