Mala

Mala, also known as Szechuan pepper, Szechwan pepper, Chinese prickly ash, Chinese pepper, Timut pepper and mala pepper, is a spice commonly used in the Sichuan cuisine of China's southwestern Sichuan Province. When eaten it produces a tingling, numbing effect due to the presence of hydroxy-al sanshool in the peppercorn.

The spice has the effect of transforming other flavors tasted together or shortly after. It is commonly used in Sichuan dishes such as mapo doufu and Chongqing hot pot, and is often added together with chili peppers to create a flavor known as mala. Despite its name, Sichuan pepper is not closely related to either black pepper or chili pepper. Related species are used in the cuisines of several other countries across Asia.