Before I left on a vacation to China, I asked my editor, Wanda Adams, what she wanted. "Sichuan peppercorns," she said.

I asked our tour guide if he knew where I could buy them. He didn't seem to understand how important this was to me, and as with most tours, we were on the go every minute of the day. When we got to Sichuan, our tour took us to the "hello markets" instead of the grocery outlets. We called them "hello markets" because every shopkeeper beckoned us with a continuous "Hello, hello, hello," until we stopped to look at their wares. I finally gave up on the idea.

But while killing time at the Shanghai airport, I finally saw what appeared to be dried peppercorns beautifully packaged in one of the shops. I quickly seized two packages because our plane was about to leave.

This morning, when I opened the vacuum-sealed package, I was very surprised to see that the peppers were mixed with some type of meat sauce. How was I to know what the contents were? The label was in Chinese characters. Curiously, I reached in and sampled the product. It was very tasty and spicy. I added a small amount to a recipe for ma po tofu, and it was delicious.

For the record, Sichuan peppercorns, pictured, are the fruit of the prickly ash (Zanthoxylum simulans), a member of the citrus family, and have an aromatic, camphor-like flavor and also the ability to cause your lips to go numb or tingle. Ordinary peppercorns (Piper nigrum) are an entirely different thing.

Here (without the addition of the mystery mixture I bought), is my recipe. I used ground turkey instead of the usual ground pork or beef. If you are a vegetarian, you could substitute 6 fresh shiitake or 8 dried Chinese mushrooms. Either version of this dish produces a delicious Sichuan classic. You can find Sichuan peppercorns in Honolulu's Chinatown at Bo Wah Trading Co. on Maunakea Street.

SICHUAN MA PO TOFU