What You Need to Know
The broth is made with Szechuan peppercorns, chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and star anise, and simmered at 82°C to 88°C for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The unique numbing and slightly spicy flavor is due to the compound hydroxy-alpha-sanshool in Szechuan peppercorns.
Steps
- 1.
Chongqing Ma La Tang (Chongqing, China): Intensifies the numbing-spicy profile with concentrated broth
- 2.
Taiwanese Blood Cake Hot Pot (Taiwan): Uses the broth to cook glutinous rice cakes while infusing spice
- 3.
Yunnan Mushroom Hot Pot (Yunnan, China): Highlights earthy flavors through prolonged simmering of wild mushrooms
The Science
Primary Reaction
Maillard reaction