In restaurants across Chengdu China there is a singular dish the evokes a tingling response — crispy stir-fried chicken on a plate piled high with thin red chilis.
It’s called la zi ji, and as intimidating as it looks, it’s not nearly as spicy as its appearance intimates. When you take a bite of the chicken, you can feel it in your face, but it’s not eye-watering — it’s tongue-tingling. The dried chilies impart flavor but aren’t even meant to be eaten. The tingle comes from one complex ingredient native to the region: Sichuan peppercorns. They give the chicken a citrusy, floral note, followed by a numbing, almost prickling sensation.
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