# What was in my food last night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174 "2011-08-02T13:57:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/1 "2011-08-02T13:57:17Z")
Last night I ate at a little dive type of Sichuan food restaurant near Torrance, California. I got a sort of mixed cold dish of seaweed, salted peanuts and dried, spicy beef. That was actually pretty good. I also got ma po bean curd, but it tasted a lot different than other versions I’ve had. It was saltier and more vinegar-y than others, but it had some kind of spice or something that made the tip of my tongue tingle and go somewhat numb. Whatever this ingredient was didn’t taste spicy hot, it just made my tongue feel weird. The flavor was very alien, and I eat a pretty broad variety of foods, much more so than most Americans. I even intentionally rubbed some on other parts of my mouth but although there was some of this sensation, it was not as potent as on the tip of my tongue. Within half an hour of eating the sensation was gone. I did not flush or start to sweat as I would with other really spicy foods. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/2 "2011-08-02T14:04:12Z")
As a guess-[Sichuan pepper.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_pepper) > [@](#): > > it has slight lemony overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/3 "2011-08-02T14:05:57Z")
Sounds like [sichuan peppers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_pepper), they have a numbing effect. edit: Dammit, too slow. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/4 "2011-08-02T14:13:27Z")
Huh…I’ve never had mapo tofu without the tingling sensation. Wouldn’t that just be tofu in chili sauce? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/5 "2011-08-02T15:44:33Z")
Why does the tingling stay/concentrate on the tip of my tongue? Why wasn’t the sensation more hot like other chiles? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/6 "2011-08-02T15:58:28Z")
Yep, that certainly is the description of Sichuan peppercorns. First time I had them (I bought them on their own to try), I thought I was having an allergic reaction. I wasn’t expecting them to numb my mouth like a mild Novocaine. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/7 "2011-08-02T16:38:20Z")
**ShibbOleth** : It’s not a chile; it’s a seed pod. The tingly feeling is caused by a [particular organic compound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxy-alpha-sanshool). ---
**Author:** ![Parenchyma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Parenchyma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parenchyma)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/8 "2011-08-02T23:52:16Z")
Beware, the _ma la_ (meaning numbing and spicy) is quite addicting. We are lucky enough to have several excellent Sichuan places in the area. The numbness does seem to pass more quickly than capsaicin pepper effects. If you also want the \*ma la \*easily at home without taking on a Sichuan recipe, add the toasted ground peppercorn to popcorn in the butter. [Penzey’s](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysszechuanpeppercorns.html?id=ynJE89n5) is a good source. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-in-my-food-last-night/591174/9 "2011-08-03T07:31:21Z")
Looks like the poison failed to work. _sigh_