Helen Ou@ Sichuan Specialty: Handpicked Dressings or Seasoning Dried Green Peppercorn Blend Pungent and Spicy 100g/3.53oz/0.22lb

(I also posted this review for the red version of these which are similar but with subtle differences that make it worth having both varieties in your arsenal.)I discovered this experience (calling it just a "flavor" is an insult) at a local hole-in-the-wall Chinese/Thai restaurant and found myself going back again and again for their Spicy Crispy Beef speciality. Long story short, this pepper is what kept me knocking down the door. I had no idea what the spice was and then stumbled across these and thought "well, why not try them?" These are indeed the aromatic, head-clearing, tongue-numbing peppers that completely change the complexion of almost any food in a very good way. They have some kick, but I wouldn't call them super-spicy (I generally use dried red chilis to add heat when I use them because I like the pain). I've given small sample packets to foodie friends including people native to China, India and the US and the reaction has been universal, along the lines of "where can I get some of these?!?" A fun thing to do is to give one peppercorn to a friend and watch him/her chew it up as you chew yours up and discuss the taste. As the minutes go by and the numbing kicks in the conversation becomes something like, e.g., "oh my...this is interesting...oh wow...what are these again...?"These are meant for Sichuan dishes but once you sample them you'll realize they can redecorate pretty much anything from pizza to scrambled eggs to pasta dishes to meatloaf. Peach cobbler, I dunno, but if you enjoy powerful flavors and haven't experienced these jewels, they are worth your while. Just a few will do so one package should last you a while.

Although the product is fresh, with few seeds and sticks, I'm a bit disappointed with the pungency. Previously I had bought the red variety in the same brand. The red stuff is extremely potent and fully five-star, whereas this green kind is bland in comparison.

The flavor is very strong and ruined the taste of anything it came close to. All 7 people that I fed it to agreed. Yuck!

At first, I thought these were old and dried out because the ones on top were very weak. But further down in the container they were much more pungent. I think the container is the problem....I could smell the huajiao even before I opened the Amazon envelope they were shipped in. I think the plastic tub must have gotten cracked allowing air to get into the container. I believe a heavy plastic bag (maybe vacuum sealed) would work much better than the flimsy tub.

EXCELLENT PRODUCT! Arrived earlier than estimated and was sealed and wrapped properly. They came in great tightly covered spice containers and each also included a small packet of the red type of peppercorn. These are the GREEN SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS they are THE REAL peppercorns they use in China and are seldom found here in the USA...if you want Sichuan food you NEED these. Spicy, citrus, numbning heat, with anise notes. WOW...even the smell is numbing. Im glad Amazon allows us to order such wonderful international fare and this company in China does such a great job. My Mah Poh Tofu was great tonight and I look forward to my next HOT POT with these peppercorns.

Great company to work with, I had a small issue with my order and Helen took care of it right away, green peppercorns are hard to find and these are incredibly aromatic and fresh. Thank You!

Peppercorns were very fragrant with a numbing effect. Better quality than the asian market.

I recently spent a month in China and became obsessed with the flavor of the Sichuan green peppercorns. upon returning I purchased these from Helen Ou. They are as fresh and flavorful as I experienced there. Nicely packaged. I will purchase from this vendor again