The Voices of Our Community

At 50Hertz Tingly Foods, we’re endlessly grateful for the community that gathers around our table. Your stories remind us that food is never just about eating — it’s about memory, connection, comfort, and joy.

More than 200 years ago, the French epicure Brillat-Savarin wrote:

"The pleasures of the table belong to all times and all ages, to every country and every day; they go hand in hand with all our other pleasures, outlast them, and remain to console us for their loss."

This spirit is at the heart of our community. Whether it’s a meal with friends, a bowl of noodles after a long day, or trying something new, you’ve shown that food brings us together, no matter the time or place.

In that same spirit, we’re honored to share a few heartfelt stories from the 50Hertz community.

Pleasures of the Table Belong to All Times and Ages...

Food never grows old — it delights across generations. 

In Maine, Peter gathered with Phyllis, 100, and Dimitri, 93, his mushroom-foraging mentor of 45 years. Around his table, they shared Peter’s version of laksa — Alaskan sockeye salmon with scallops and cilantro — paired with our green Sichuan pepper oil, laughter, and friendship. A simple reminder that the pleasures of the table truly span every age.

Peter has also been sharing the tingle with his Maine community. From seafood laksa to foraged mushrooms, his meals carry curiosity, warmth, and generosity — spreading the tingle across people, places, and generations.

Every Country 

Food connects us across generations, communities, and even continents — and Warren, one of our customers in Washington, D.C., knows this well.

In the mid-1960s, while teaching at National Taiwan University, he discovered Sichuan cuisine and never forgot it. Years later, in 1979, as an adviser on China to Michigan Governor Bill Milliken, he was encouraged — even by the NSC adviser on China to President Carter — to pursue Liaoning as a sister-state. But as Warren joked, “I’d never even heard of a Liaoning restaurant.” He trusted his instincts and chose Sichuan instead.

That choice became history: Michigan and Sichuan formalized their sister-state agreement in 1982, a partnership celebrated again on its 35th anniversary.

Today, Warren enjoys our tingly Sichuan Pepper Oil, and we like to think it brings him back to those first meals in Taiwan — a reminder that the joys of the table truly transcend borders.

...And Every Day 

Food isn’t just about grand adventures — it’s in the quiet moments, the weekday meals, and the small surprises at the table.

Georgianna in California has been bringing the tingle into her everyday cooking. She started simply, adding a few drops of our Sichuan pepper oil to her classic American cocktail sauce for chilled shrimp. The verdict?

“I was VERY pleased… I ran out of shrimp before running out of sauce, so I used bits of bread to soak up the spicy, tingly remainder.”

That little success pushed her to explore more. Inspired by our pairing suggestions, she created the “Tingly Mary” — a Bloody Mary with a lightly oiled rim and a few drops added to the celery stalk.

And she’s not done yet. Next up: a creamy chicken soup with lemon thyme, where she’s sure the oil’s citrusy fragrance will shine.

Out in Wyoming, Curtis slipped a little tingly oil into sautéed mussels and over roasted carrots and beets, much to his wife's surprise and delight:

“My goodness! MARVELOUS addition of flavor and tingling sensation! I didn’t tell my wife at first… she knew something was different but couldn’t put her finger on it.”

Others, like Federico, told us simply:

“What a wonderful distinctive flavor! We want to share the experience with family and friends and are ordering another dozen bottles.”

Sarah, a grad student, wrote:

“My boyfriend is Indian… his favorite dish is mapo tofu, the hotter and spicier the better! Our anniversary is coming up and I thought this would be the perfect gift.”

And from New York, actress Lori Tan Chinn (grandma in Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens) shared:

“I’m sending a bottle to two chefs. I’d also like to place a bottle in the kitchen on my TV show’s set.”

We’ll be keeping our eyes open for that cameo.

From kitchens on set to dinner tables at home, Sichuan Pepper Oil finds its way into moments of connection and delight. But its magic doesn’t stop at taste.

They Go Hand in Hand With All Other Pleasures

The tingle of Sichuan pepper awakens the senses — sparking pleasure, memory, and sometimes even restoration.

For Matt, it delivered the full numbing effect he’d been searching for:

“Most snacks that claim Sichuan pepper never really hit the numbing effect… but your snacks ABSOLUTELY meet the mark.”

For Pam, the tingle became part of healing after COVID:

“My sense of taste and smell were diminished. Your oil has greatly enhanced my enjoyment of food as I make my way back to taste normalcy.”

And it stirred her imagination, too:

“The oil hints of traveling to exotic places and experiencing foods from other cultures.”

Together, their stories show how the pepper’s unique vibration can both electrify the palate and gently bring lost sensations back to life.

Outlast Them, and Remain To Console Us for Their Loss 

Some meals carry more than flavor or sensations — they also carry memory, love, and even grief.

Paul from Hawaii wrote:

“Yesterday would have been my 20th anniversary. Unfortunately, my wife passed. However, my friends came to share the surf and turf I had prepared.” 

To mark the day, he served cilantro noodles with chili oil and “cracking garlic fortified with Szechuan oil.” The comfort showed in the simplest way, as he writes: 

“Every bit of the sauce was sopped up with the sour dough bread I served.”

Around his table, sorrow eased into fellowship. Food became both solace and celebration. As Paul ended:

“I look forward to other culinary adventures. Mahalo nui loa.”

In moments like these, the pleasures of the table endure — consoling us in loss, carrying love forward, and reminding us that joy, like flavor, can return.

Closing: An Invitation to the Table

As these stories show, the voices of our community are as vibrant as the dishes you create. From everyday meals to moments of joy, loss, discovery, and celebration, you remind us that the pleasures of the table truly belong to all times, all ages, and every day.

We’re humbled by your creativity and your honesty. Your stories shape who we are at 50Hertz — pushing us to listen, improve, and keep building alongside you.

Thank you for welcoming us into your kitchens, your celebrations, and even your healing. As Brillat-Savarin wrote, the pleasures of the table endure — to delight us, to connect us, and to bring us back together.

Keep sharing your stories and experiments with us. Together, we’ll keep the table full.