Place to buy sichuan peppercorns in the Baltimore/DC area?

[rossif]

I've been looking to buy some sichuan peppercorns/chili in the Baltimore/DC area and haven't been able to find a single place. I went to the Han Ah Rheum in Catonsville and in Gaithersburg, and neither place had it. I went to the Grand Mart in Laurel, MD and on Gallows Rd in VA, and didn't have it either. Does anyone know where I can get it?

[photographicality]

Best place to buy any asian food is off route 40 in Columbia. There is a great Korean BBQ in the same shopping center called Shin Chon.

[Hal Laurent]

> off route 40 in Columbia

You'd have to be *way* off route 40 to be in Columbia.

[abovethewaves]

Williams Sonoma and Harry & Davids both carry Szechwan peppercorns.

I recently had them in a chocolate soup recipe after having the same soup without them...they definately bring out the flavors in a dish like this. I also have used them in a pork tenderloin marinade that was delicious.

[MsDiPesto]

You can get them at Penzey's on Broad Street in Falls Church too.

[MartinDC]

The best Szechwan peppercorns I've cooked with I've gotten were from Penzey's of all places. The ones obtained from the chinese stores have had very little flavor or potency. The penzey's peppercorns had my lips and gums buzzing the last time I made kung pao chicken.

Isn't it lucky I work with a person who grew up in the area between Sichuan and Hunan? We were discussing this very topic this morning ... she maintains that there are various varieties of the peppercorn, and not all of them are "ma". She says that to get the best ma flavor in food is to use the prepared oil -- and even then there are some brands that are superior to others. I asked her if I could infuse my own oil, and she insisted that the quality will be inferior to the commercially prepared oils. She said she will bring me her favorite brand, which is readily available in the market she frequents (she lives in Rockville).

You can get both good quality chinese red chilies and the "ma" peppercorns at Penzey's. There's a store somewhere in Rockville, too, by the way.

[Dennis S]

When you report back with that, can you find out also how to swap out the ingredients - what ratio to use?

TIA!

[VinceC]

Could you please post the market source that your coworker uses to purchase the oil? Thanks!

[rossif]

Thanks! I mean that I need both "ma" and "la" the sichuan chili pods AND sichuan peppercorns. Thanks! I'm going to go to Rockville tomorrow and get them from Kam Sam. Thanks for both your replies.

[pgreen]

Although they don't have the chili pods, but Penzeys in Rockville has the peppercorns (I just picked some up last week).

[dpan]

HAR and Grand Mart are not Chinese markets. Better bet would be Chinese markets like Maxim or Kam Sen in Rockville or Great Wall in Merrifield.

[Hal Laurent]

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "sichuan peppercorns/chili". Szechwan peppercorns aren't chile peppers.

Are you looking for Szechwan peppercorns, or for the small dried red chile peppers used in Szechwan cooking? I've gotten both at Asia Foods on York Road in Baltimore, but that's hardly the only source.