[Sca-cooks] Sichuan peppercorns

[Johnna Holloway]

For those interested (and it was a topic of discussion here
in the past)
Sichuan peppercorns are the subject of a major article in today's
New York Times. July 27, 2005
  Sichuan's Signature Is Now Legal Again. By FLORENCE FABRICANT
  Remember they have been banned due to a possible connection with
a citrus canker that could infect the American citrus industry.
The article notes that "last year the department [of Agriculture]
approved a treatment
to destroy the canker, heating the berries to at least 140 degrees for
20 minutes. Now, many spice dealers, including Adriana's Caravan in 
Grand Central Terminal, and several shops in Chinatown, sell Sichuan 
peppercorns in bags bearing labels stating that they have been 
heat-treated. Some stores in Chinatown sell them without the label."

The article also explores the ban on "jamón Ibérico" the prized hams
from Spain.

Johnnae