Details
A sweet, buttery twist on our bestselling peanuts.
Premium roasted cashews coated with sugar, chili, and real Szechuan (Sichuan) green pepper for a layered flavor — sweet, savory, and gently tingling.
Unlike typical spicy snacks, the heat is subtle. The focus is the bright, citrusy tingle that keeps customers coming back.
50Hertz Tingly Foods
Washington, DC
TLDR Background Story
Founder Yao Zhao, previously a World Bank clean-energy specialist, began ideating the company in 2018 and launched it in 2020. Inspired by the tingle of Sichuan peppercorns from childhood, he built 50Hertz as a sensory company; the name refers to research comparing the sensation to a 50-hertz vibration.
Proudest Achievement
Winning the $10,000 grand prize in the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show Fancy Face-Off competition for Tingly Sichuan Pepper Cashews.
The "Why" Behind the Business
To introduce Americans to Sichuan pepper’s floral, citrusy, buzzing sensation and build a distinct tingly sensory category beyond Chinese cuisine.
Coolest/Most Fun Experience
Exhibiting at a major trade show for the first time