Sichuan buttons: The flower that electrocutes your mouth!

This Sichuan button is a small (5mm.), yellow flower bud that, when eaten, creates a strong tingling sensation in the mouth and a sudden increase in salivation. The active ingredient is spilanthol, a chemical that’s used in food manufacturing and candies (to counteract astringents, which dry out the mouth, and to create the sensation of “freshness”). The full Sichuan button experience comes in three stages: first, a grassy taste, followed by a tingling and numbing sensation, then salivation, and, finally a fresh, clean finish. (It’s usually broken up into smaller pieces in cooking.)