# Whats this in my Hunan Beef **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961 "2009-09-05T14:20:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [September 6, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/21 "2009-09-06T05:33:00Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Is it [sichuan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_pepper) pepper? Doesn’t sound like it given the description. They’re not the size of black watermelon seeds, nor are they smoky. They’re about the size of peppercorns with the texture of coriander seed, and taste slightly citrus, slightly camphor, slightly maybe mint, and, most characteristically, slightly numbing, like Novocaine. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/22 "2009-09-06T05:45:02Z")
Couldn’t someone at China Garden tell you? ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/23 "2009-09-08T14:37:32Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Was I the only one who read the title as “human beef”? Yes, Dr. Lecter. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/24 "2009-09-08T16:26:26Z")
> [@wunderkammer](#): > > Fermented black beans a.k.a. [douchi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douchi)? > Fits the braisin hypothesis. Hmm, are those ever rather spicy? I was at a company dinner that had catered Chinese food, and some coworkers of mine were having trouble with one dish that had very spicy little things that looked like small watermelon seeds. I didn’t try any of that dish so I don’t know how spicy they really were, but you could tell when one of them had bitten into one - immediate eyes widening, screwed-up facial expression, fumbling for a beverage. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/25 "2009-09-08T16:38:26Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Hmm, are those ever rather spicy? I was at a company dinner that had catered Chinese food, and some coworkers of mine were having trouble with one dish that had very spicy little things that looked like small watermelon seeds. I didn’t try any of that dish so I don’t know how spicy they really were, but you could tell when one of them had bitten into one - immediate eyes widening, screwed-up facial expression, fumbling for a beverage. Edit after window expired - actually, on reflection I think they were closer to round rather than oblong. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/26 "2009-09-08T16:45:28Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Was I the only one who read the title as “human beef”? No. Was I the only one disturbed by the name “douchi”? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/27 "2009-09-08T20:52:37Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Hmm, are those ever rather spicy? I was at a company dinner that had catered Chinese food, and some coworkers of mine were having trouble with one dish that had very spicy little things that looked like small watermelon seeds. I didn’t try any of that dish so I don’t know how spicy they really were, but you could tell when one of them had bitten into one - immediate eyes widening, screwed-up facial expression, fumbling for a beverage. Those were most likely sichuan peppercorns. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/28 "2009-09-08T21:13:00Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Those were most likely sichuan peppercorns. I’m not sure. Sichuan peppercorns have no heat to them whatsoever. They have a tingle and make you salivate, but I don’t think anyone would mistake that for spiciness. Then again, the poster didn’t try them, so maybe his description of “spicy, little things” is inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/29 "2009-09-08T21:33:14Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Hmm, are those ever rather spicy? I was at a company dinner that had catered Chinese food, and some coworkers of mine were having trouble with one dish that had very spicy little things that looked like small watermelon seeds. I didn’t try any of that dish so I don’t know how spicy they really were, but you could tell when one of them had bitten into one - immediate eyes widening, screwed-up facial expression, fumbling for a beverage. Could it be [Star Anise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_anise)? It can be overpowering if you bit into it. For the OP, I agree it is most likely douchi. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961.md?page=1)