Sichuan Peppercorn ice cream

When a friend returned from a trip to China with Sichuan peppercorn, I accepted his challenge to make an ice cream flavor with this unique spice.  Sichuan pepper has a unique aroma and flavour that is not hot or pungent like black, white or chili peppers. Instead, it has slight lemony overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth.  In fact, it is more closely related to citrus than black pepper or chilli peppers.

Using orange and lemon zest, I created a citrus ice cream base and added ground Sichuan pepper after the churning was nearly completed.  The bright citrus notes are the first flavors you'll taste, followed by the flavor of the sweet cream.  The Sichuan tingle grows on your tongue until you realize that the sensation is not from the cold and the lemony flavor is not from the citrus zest.  Even after tasting this flavor several times, the uniqueness of this combination keeps me scooping for another taste to re-experience the many layers of flavor.

Sichuan peppercorn is called "hua jiao" in Mandarin, literally flower pepper.  I had never seen the bright fuchsia buds before, and indeed, they looked like little flowers, or perhaps miniature versions of ornate, decorative hats.  (Don't they look like the hats or shoes of the munchkins in the Wizard of Oz?)  It's likely, however, that they are called "flower pepper" because the tingling sensation opens your mind and tastebuds to the other flavors of the dish it accompanies.  

My friend Emily, the founder and chief pie baker at Nothing in the House was so kind to give me a freshly baked marmalade tart when I dropped off ice cream as part of her monthly subscription.  It paired well with the citrus notes of the Sichuan Peppercorn ice cream.