Whole Sichuan peppercorns are most prominently used in Sichuan cooking where they can be the star of a dish (e.g. mapo tofu). However, the powder form is a central ingredient in the so-called "Five Spices" mix:
- star anise - fennel - cinnamon - clove - sichuan peppercorns
This "five spices" powder is used very often in Northern Chinese cooking as a meat or tofu rub.
In addition, sichuan peppercorns are often used in lushui in the south:
https://soupeduprecipes.com/chinese-master-brine-recipe/
and also it can be found in a lot of braising recipes.