This is a good article but it's a dupe (or quasidupe) of https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18317591, from yesterday.

Very well written, and has one of the better descriptions of Sichuanese food & cooking techniques I've encountered. It is truly one of the great cuisines of the world IMHO. Was incredibly relieved when credible Sichuanese restaurants started popping up in the Seattle suburbs about 5 years ago.

I believe we will find out that Sichuanese peppercorns have some kind of mild, physically addictive quality. And I'm totally fine with that!

"There really is no fast-forward button to mastery – behind every step forward may be a couple steps backward – but slowly, it is earned."

Worth the read by the end.