Thanks, its nice to get confirmation. The jars of powdered pepper were
sealed, and I put the whole peppers into an airtight jar last night.

Ian


DC. wrote:
> Yes they're the same thing, in parts of SE Asia, Sichuan peppers are
> grounded down to powder form & sold. The names vary from country to country
> & translation but anything like Chinese pepper powder to Sichuan powder are
> the same thing. It's in powder form because it's convenient just like you'd
> find ground blackpepper in supermarkets all over the western world. But you
> should be aware that humidity in SE Asia is a lot higher & any spices ground
> or powder form will soon loose it's potency, so depending on how long it's
> in it's ground/powdered form, you might have to use it up fast. When buying
> spices & herbs etc. always buy them whole if you intend to keep them for as
> long as possible & make sure they're airtight during storage. hope this
> helps.
>
> DC.
>
>
> "Ian" > wrote in message
> news:EdN2d.296644$sh.238122@fed1read06...
>
>>Hi -
>>
>>I just came back from Thailand, and while there I looked for Sechuan
>>Pepper, which is difficult to find (for me, anyway) in the US, as its
>>commercial importation appears to be barred.
>>
>>I found spice jars of something called 'Sechuan Powder' in Foodtown (Soi
>>5 off Sukhumvit), and while its a bit gritty, requiring further
>>grinding, it appears to be the right thing, as it leaves the tongue a
>>little numb (thats my only clue about how it should taste).
>>
>>In Chiang Mai's Wororot Market, I found a woman selling mainly Indian
>>spices, but she also had something she called 'Chinese Pepper', and she
>>could not tell me if it was the same thing as Sechuan Pepper, as she had
>>never heard this term (not surprising really, as she was not an English
>>speaker). Anyway, I bought a generous bag of this, and it too appears to
>>be the real deal.
>>
>>I declared on my US customs form that I had spices for cooking, and they
>>did not seem very interested.
>>
>>So, if you are passing through Thailand (or know anyone doing so), grab
>>some!
>>
>>Ian
>
>
>