[myself248]

I've heard about the "numbing" effect of those peppers, but never tracked down the real thing here in the US. Are you aware of any literature on it?

[dfxm12]

If you're ever in a restaurant and see Szechuan dry fried string beans or mapo tofu on the menu, check it out. I live near a couple Asian markets that stock the sichuan peppercorns and various other numbingly spicy things (oils, bean pastes, etc.) in stock.

Pop literature: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-szechuan-p...

Research that article is based on: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.168...

[ubercow13]

You can buy Sichuan pepper off the supermarket spice rack in the UK, it's not obscure at all. Pop one in your mouth and chew it and you will immediately notice the distinctive sensation. Are you sure you were looking for the right thing?

[GordonS]

It was obscure for a while here in the UK in recent times - as imports were banned due to some kind of plant disease.

Same thing has happened with curry leaves on multiple occasions too.

[Matticus_Rex]

You can get massive amounts of szechuan peppercorns very cheaply on Amazon. I recommend it! Also recommended: authentic Szechuan cuisine (at least if you like spicy food).

[jdminhbg]

You can just order them on Amazon, they’re not super rare or expensive. The numbing sensation will be obvious when you try them.