辣极思蜀:花椒的极致诱惑
<p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="HAVE">HAVE</span> <span word="A">A</span> <span word="CONFESSION">CONFESSION</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span>: <span word="For">For</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decade">decade</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="contraband">contraband</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="freezer">freezer</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stash">stash</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span> <span word="peppercorn">peppercorn</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bright">bright</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="earthy">earthy</span> <span word="Asian">Asian</span> <span word="spice">spice</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="tingles">tingles</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="numbs">numbs</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tongue">tongue</span>. <span word="Harvested">Harvested</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="prickly">prickly</span> <span word="ash">ash</span> <span word="shrubs">shrubs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="temperate">temperate</span> <span word="parts">parts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>, <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span> <span word="peppercorns">peppercorns</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="banned">banned</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="in">in</span> 1968 <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fear">fear</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="spread">spread</span> <span word="citrus">citrus</span> <span word="canker">canker</span>.</p><p>我有件事必须坦白：近10年来，我一直在冰箱里藏着违禁品。它就是花椒，一种明亮、朴实的亚洲香料，入口辛麻。花椒生长于亚洲温带地区，是灌木或乔木花椒树的果实。由于担心这种植物会导致柑橘溃疡病蔓延，美国在1968年曾颁布过花椒的进口禁令。</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="spice">spice</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="combined">combined</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="chilies">chilies</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sensation">sensation</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="ma">ma</span> <span word="la">la</span>─<span word="literally">literally</span> '<span word="numbing">numbing</span>-<span word="hot">hot</span>.' <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="buzz">buzz</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="intrigued">intrigued</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="other">other</span>. (<span word="Despite">Despite</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="name">name</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="reddish">reddish</span>-<span word="brown">brown</span> <span word="pods">pods</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="related">related</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="black">black</span> <span word="pepper">pepper</span>.) <span word="The">The</span> <span word="zingy">zingy</span> <span word="husks">husks</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="spice">spice</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="hua">hua</span> <span word="jiao">jiao</span> ('<span word="flower">flower</span> <span word="pepper">pepper</span>'), <span word="while">while</span> <span word="Japanese">Japanese</span> <span word="cuisine">cuisine</span> <span word="favors">favors</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pod">pod</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="milder">milder</span> <span word="berries">berries</span>, <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="sansho">sansho</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="form">form</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="lemony">lemony</span> <span word="tang">tang</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="unmistakable">unmistakable</span>.</p><p>花椒常与辣椒一起使用，烹制口味麻辣的菜肴。这种调料在我看来非常独特，引发过我的无限好奇。（虽然中文名字中都有一个“椒”，但这种红褐色的芸香科植物与黑胡椒并无关系。）不论是中国菜中使用的花椒，还是日本料理中使用的柔和些的山椒，其浓烈辛辣的香味都是明白无误的。</p>
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