Yes, the article correctly points out that Sichuan pepper is native to Sichuan and that the people have been using it as spice well before the arrival of the chili pepper:<p>&gt;To counteract the soggy weather, the Sichuanese have historically spiked their diet with warming foods like garlic, ginger, and Sichuan pepper (a spice unrelated to the hot pepper that creates a numbing sensation on the tongue). When the chili pepper arrived, the Sichuanese plugged it seamlessly into their preexisting palate. 