So I go to Penzeys...

Got my white peppercorn supply.

After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in Wikipedia and it
mentions to use the casings not the inner seed (bitter). So I ask an employee
to show me this pepper (which isn't actually pepper!?). They had bulging
baggies of the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they had been carefully
cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A sniff jar of the stuff wasn't
bad but I wasn't convinced enough to buy... probably five years worth of the
stuff! I'll stop in an Asian market and see what they offer.

Andy

Andy wrote:

> After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in Wikipedia and
> it mentions to use the casings not the inner seed (bitter). So I ask an
> employee to show me this pepper (which isn't actually pepper!?). They had
> bulging baggies of the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they had been
> carefully cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A sniff jar of the
> stuff wasn't bad but I wasn't convinced enough to buy... probably five
> years worth of the stuff!

As you noted, Szechuan peppercorns are not actually pepper; the plant is a
variety of camphor. The appeal of Szechuan peppercorns lies not in its taste
or its smell, but in how it FEELS: It makes your mouth go numb. You get a
numbing-tingling feeling along with a kind of peppery-wintergreen flavor.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger said...

> Andy wrote:
>
>> After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in Wikipedia
>> and it mentions to use the casings not the inner seed (bitter). So I
>> ask an employee to show me this pepper (which isn't actually pepper!?).
>> They had bulging baggies of the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they
>> had been carefully cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A sniff
>> jar of the stuff wasn't bad but I wasn't convinced enough to buy...
>> probably five years worth of the stuff!
>
> As you noted, Szechuan peppercorns are not actually pepper; the plant is
> a variety of camphor. The appeal of Szechuan peppercorns lies not in its
> taste or its smell, but in how it FEELS: It makes your mouth go numb.
> You get a numbing-tingling feeling along with a kind of
> peppery-wintergreen flavor.
>
> Bob


Bob,

I read it described as part of the mint family.

Best,

Andy

Andy wrote on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:18:48 -0500:

>> Andy wrote:
>>
>>> After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in
>>> Wikipedia and it mentions to use the casings not the inner
>>> seed (bitter). So I ask an employee to show me this pepper
>>> (which isn't actually pepper!?). They had bulging baggies of
>>> the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they had been
>>> carefully cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A
>>> sniff jar of the stuff wasn't bad but I wasn't convinced
>>> enough to buy... probably five years worth of the stuff!
>>
>> As you noted, Szechuan peppercorns are not actually pepper;
>> the plant is a variety of camphor. The appeal of Szechuan
>> peppercorns lies not in its taste or its smell, but in how it
>> FEELS: It makes your mouth go numb. You get a numbing-tingling
>> feeling along with a kind of peppery-wintergreen flavor.
>>
>> Bob

> Bob,

> I read it described as part of the mint family.

As always, take a look at:

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton said...

> Andy wrote on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:18:48 -0500:
>
>>> Andy wrote:
>>>
>>>> After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in
>>>> Wikipedia and it mentions to use the casings not the inner
>>>> seed (bitter). So I ask an employee to show me this pepper
>>>> (which isn't actually pepper!?). They had bulging baggies of
>>>> the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they had been
>>>> carefully cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A
>>>> sniff jar of the stuff wasn't bad but I wasn't convinced
>>>> enough to buy... probably five years worth of the stuff!
>>>
>>> As you noted, Szechuan peppercorns are not actually pepper;
>>> the plant is a variety of camphor. The appeal of Szechuan
>>> peppercorns lies not in its taste or its smell, but in how it
>>> FEELS: It makes your mouth go numb. You get a numbing-tingling
>>> feeling along with a kind of peppery-wintergreen flavor.
>>>
>>> Bob
>
>> Bob,
>
>> I read it described as part of the mint family.
>
> As always, take a look at:
>
> http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html


James,

Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.

Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?

Thanks,

Andy

"Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> James Silverton said...
>> As always, take a look at:
>>
>> http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>
>
> James,
>
> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>
> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Andy

Andy, don't be such a wuss. When you think about the brave souls who
decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper onto
your home fries is pretty tame, eh?

Remember that first oyster eater, the first lobster muncher, and remember
for a moment those who tried Nightshade berries and barbecued with oleander.

Giusi said...

> "Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>> James Silverton said...
>>> As always, take a look at:
>>>
>>> http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>>
>>
>> James,
>>
>> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>>
>> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Andy
>
> Andy, don't be such a wuss. When you think about the brave souls who
> decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper
> onto your home fries is pretty tame, eh?
>
> Remember that first oyster eater, the first lobster muncher, and
> remember for a moment those who tried Nightshade berries and barbecued
> with oleander.


Giusi,

Heh heh heh heh heh!

Yeah, so I'm not great with spicy foods like I used to be.

I don't know squat about nightshade berries w/wo oleander.

My deprived childhood!?

Best,

Andy

Andy wrote:
> Giusi said...
>
>> "Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
>> ...
>>> James Silverton said...
>>>> As always, take a look at:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>>>
>>> James,
>>>
>>> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>>>
>>> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Andy
>> Andy, don't be such a wuss. When you think about the brave souls who
>> decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper
>> onto your home fries is pretty tame, eh?
>>
>> Remember that first oyster eater, the first lobster muncher, and
>> remember for a moment those who tried Nightshade berries and barbecued
>> with oleander.
>
>
> Giusi,
>
> Heh heh heh heh heh!
>
> Yeah, so I'm not great with spicy foods like I used to be.
>
> I don't know squat about nightshade berries w/wo oleander.
>
> My deprived childhood!?
>
> Best,
>
> Andy

Both tomatoes and potatoes are members of the nightshade family.

flitterbit wrote:
> Andy wrote:
> > Giusi said...
> >> "Andy" says:
> >>> James Silverton said...
> >>>> As always, take a look at:
>
> >>>>http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>
> >>> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>
> >>> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>
> >> Andy, don't be such a wuss. �When you think about the brave souls who
> >> decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper
> >> onto your home fries is pretty tame, eh?
>
> >> Remember that first oyster eater, the first lobster muncher, and
> >> remember for a moment those who tried Nightshade berries and barbecued
> >> with oleander.
>
> > Yeah, so I'm not great with spicy foods like I used to be.
>
> > I don't know squat about nightshade berries w/wo oleander.
>
> > My deprived childhood!?
>
> Both tomatoes and potatoes are members of the nightshade family.

So is Andy... da shadrool/eggplant!

Ahahahahaha. . . . citrull!

http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/d/dean...ano242823.html

Sheldon said...

> flitterbit wrote:
>> Andy wrote:
>> > Giusi said...
>> >> "Andy" says:
>> >>> James Silverton said...
>> >>>> As always, take a look at:
>>
>> >>>>http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>>
>> >>> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>>
>> >>> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>>
>> >> Andy, don't be such a wuss. �When you think about the brave so
> uls who
>> >> decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper
>> >> onto your home fries is pretty tame, eh?
>>
>> >> Remember that first oyster eater, the first lobster muncher, and
>> >> remember for a moment those who tried Nightshade berries and
barbecued
>> >> with oleander.
>>
>> > Yeah, so I'm not great with spicy foods like I used to be.
>>
>> > I don't know squat about nightshade berries w/wo oleander.
>>
>> > My deprived childhood!?
>>
>> Both tomatoes and potatoes are members of the nightshade family.
>
> So is Andy... da shadrool/eggplant!
>
> Ahahahahaha. . . . citrull!
>
> http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/d/dean...ano242823.html


Mornin' Sheldon!

Skipped the <url>

Best,

Andy

Giusi wrote:

> "Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>> James Silverton said...
>>> As always, take a look at:
>>>
>>> http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>>
>>
>> James,
>>
>> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>>
>> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Andy
>
> Andy, don't be such a wuss. When you think about the brave souls who
> decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper onto
> your home fries is pretty tame, eh?

Perhaps Chatty Cathy could come up with an "Is Andy a wuss?" survey.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Need a new news feed? http://blinkynet.net/comp/newfeed.html

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:47:05 -0500, Andy wrote:

> So I go to Penzeys...
>
> Got my white peppercorn supply.
>
> After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in Wikipedia and it
> mentions to use the casings not the inner seed (bitter). So I ask an employee
> to show me this pepper (which isn't actually pepper!?). They had bulging
> baggies of the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they had been carefully
> cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A sniff jar of the stuff wasn't
> bad but I wasn't convinced enough to buy... probably five years worth of the
> stuff! I'll stop in an Asian market and see what they offer.
>
> Andy

the penzeys near me (rockville, md) has it in 0.5 oz. jars for $1.59.
frankly, i don't know if it has wide application outside of szechuan food,
but if so, i'd be interested to hear.

probably in an asian store, you could get a huge bag for not much more, but
it might not be as fresh and pungent. i expect the smaller amount will
last me a long time. it's usually used by the half-teaspoon or less.

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:15:35 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Andy wrote:
>
>> After Blake suggested, I looked up Szechwan peppercorns in Wikipedia and
>> it mentions to use the casings not the inner seed (bitter). So I ask an
>> employee to show me this pepper (which isn't actually pepper!?). They had
>> bulging baggies of the stuff, crushed. I couldn't tell if they had been
>> carefully cracked and separated, so I didn't buy any. A sniff jar of the
>> stuff wasn't bad but I wasn't convinced enough to buy... probably five
>> years worth of the stuff!
>
> As you noted, Szechuan peppercorns are not actually pepper; the plant is a
> variety of camphor. The appeal of Szechuan peppercorns lies not in its taste
> or its smell, but in how it FEELS: It makes your mouth go numb. You get a
> numbing-tingling feeling along with a kind of peppery-wintergreen flavor.
>
> Bob

to me it tastes of pine, but not unpleasantly so. it's definitely numbing
to a degree.

your pal,
blake

Blinky the Shark said...

> Giusi wrote:
>
>> "Andy" <q> ha scritto nel messaggio
>> ...
>>> James Silverton said...
>>>> As always, take a look at:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zant_pip.html
>>>
>>>
>>> James,
>>>
>>> Good link! I'll take my time about buying into the Szechuan pepper.
>>>
>>> Should probably try an Asian dish with some!?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Andy
>>
>> Andy, don't be such a wuss. When you think about the brave souls who
>> decided all that we eat is edible, throwing a little Szechuan pepper
onto
>> your home fries is pretty tame, eh?
>
> Perhaps Chatty Cathy could come up with an "Is Andy a wuss?" survey.


Survey SAYS?!?

;D

Andy
Family Fluid, the game.