Original: Ma la (; literally "numbing and spicy"), common in Sichuan cooking, is a combination of Sichuan pepper and chili pepper, and it is a key ingredient in "mÃ lÃ" hot pot the Sichuan version of the Chinese traditional dish.
Simplified: Ma la (; literally "numb and hot"), a flavor common in Sichuan cooking, is a combination of Sichuan pepper and chili pepper.