Q: When is a pepper not a pepper?
A: When it’s Zanthoxylum bungeanum, a delicious member of the Rutacae (rue or citrus) family known as Szechuan Pepper! Also known as Chinese prickly ash or Chinese pepper, it’s tart, lemony and creates a tingling sensation on the taste buds, followed by a cool numbness. It’s an entertaining taste experience, as we can tell you from sampling the pods! While it’s fun to try the peppers by themselves, a more customary way of using them is to lightly toast the tiny reddish-brown outer seedpods, then crush them before adding them to food.
Native to China, the aromatic shrub that produces Szechuan Pepper is now grown in temperate zones of Asia and North America. As you may have guessed from its name, Szechuan Pepper is used in the spicy cooking of the Szechuan province in China, as well as Tibetan and Bhutani cooking in the Himalayas. It’s also an ingredient in traditional Chinese five-spice powder.
But wait! Szechuan pepper is not only tasty, but is also reported to have a number of health benefits and is sometimes used as a blood purifier and digestive aid. Other medicinal properties attributed to Szechuan pepper include pain relief (due to its numbing qualities), immune support, and weight loss. Be careful, though: Eating too much of it can cause numbness of the mouth and lips. It’s not recommended to use Szechuan pepper while pregnant.
To get started using Szechuan pepper, we recommend whipping up a batch of Hua jiao yan, a condiment that can be used as you would use salt and pepper in cooking or at the table. It’s especially tasty on seafood!
Hua Jiao Yan:
Combine equal parts salt (we recommend Himalayan Pink salt) and Szechuan pepper and place in a dry pan over medium high heat. Stir constantly until the Szechuan pepper begins smoking lightly. Before the mixture cools, grind it with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Enjoy!
