Szechuan buttons (aka buzz buttons, Sichuan buttons, toothache flowers, Acmella Oleracea) are tiny yellow flowers with a unique tingling effect that feels like light electricity. They’re a great party food or cocktail ingredient, and some chefs are using them in sorbets as a salad ingredient or as a sashimi garnish.

What gives these flowers their unique voltage effect is actually a natural painkiller (an analgesic) called spilanthol that briefly triggers a reaction in a nerve pathway in your mouth. The effect lasts only a couple of minutes and is used in some cultures as a toothache remedy.

Other Szechuan Button Information:
Szechuan Button Recipes
Freezing Szechuan Buttons