Sichuan pepper

Sichuan pepper(Chinese:花椒;pinyin:huājiāo, also known asSichuanese pepper,Szechuan pepper,Chinese prickly ash,Chinese pepper,Mountain pepper, andmalapepper, is aspicecommonly used inSichuan cuisinein China, Bhutan and in northeast India. It is calledmejengain Assam, India. It is calledthingey(ཐིང༌ངེ༌) in Bhutan and is used in preparing ezay (a side dish similar to  chutney), to add spiciness to rice porridge (ཐུགཔ་), ba-thup and noodle (buckwheat noodles similar tosoba) and other snacks. It is extensively used in preparingblood sausagethroughout Bhutan, Tibet and China. Despite its name, Sichuan pepper is not closely related toblack pepperorchili peppers. It is made from a plant of the genusZanthoxylumin the familyRutaceae, which includescitrusandrue.
When eaten, Sichuan pepper produces a tingling, numbing effect due to the presence ofhydroxy-alpha sanshool.The spice has the effect of transforming other flavors tasted together or shortly after. It is used in Sichuan dishes such asmapo doufuandChongqing hot pot, and is often added to chili peppers to create a flavor known asmálà(Chinese:麻辣;'numb-spiciness').
InNepal, Timur orTimut pepperis a commonly used spice often confused with Sichuan pepper because they look similar and share some characteristics.
Sichuan peppers have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes in China for centuries with numerousZanthoxylumspecies calledhuājiāo(lit.'flower pepper').Commonly used sichuan peppers in China includehónghuājiāo(Chinese:红花椒), or red Sichuan peppercorns, which are harvested fromZanthoxylum bungeanum, andqīnghuājiāo(Chinese:青花椒) ormájiāo(Chinese:麻椒), green Sichuan peppercorns, harvested fromZanthoxylum armatum.Fresh green Sichuan peppercorns are also known asténgjiāo(Chinese:藤椒).Red Sichuan pepper is typically characterized as stronger-tasting, while green Sichuan pepper is milder but fragrant and has a stronger numbing effect.Over the years, Chinese farmers have cultivated multiple strains of these two varieties.Zanthoxylum simulans, known as Chinese-pepper or flatspine prickly-ash, is the source of another red Sichuan peppercorn.
Zanthoxylum armatumis found throughout the Himalayas, from Kashmir to Bhutan, as well as in Taiwan, Nepal, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, and Pakistan,and is known by a variety of regional names, includingtimur(टिमुर) inNepaliandHindko,yer ma(གཡེར་མ) inTibetanandthingyeinBhutan.
Zanthoxylum gilletiiis an African species ofZanthoxylumused to produce spiceuzazi. Similarly, otherZanthoxylumspecies are harvested for spice and seasoning production in a number of cultures and culinary traditions.  These spices includeandaliman,chopi,sancho,sanshō,teppal, andtirphal.
Sichuan pepper is an important spice in Chinese, Nepali, Kashmiri, north east Indian, Tibetan, andBhutanesecookery of the Himalayas.Sichuan pepper has a citrus-like flavor and induces a tingling numbness in the mouth, akin to a 50-hertz vibration,due to the presence ofhydroxy-alpha sanshool. Food historianHarold McGeedescribes the effect of sanshools thus:
Whole, green, freshly picked Sichuan pepper may be used in cooking, but dried Sichuan pepper is more commonly used. Once dried, the shiny black seeds inside the husk are discarded, along with any stems; the husk is what we know as Sichuan pepper or peppercorn.
The peppercorn may be used whole or finely ground, as it is infive-spice powder.Ma lasauce (Chinese:麻辣;pinyin:málà;lit.'numbing and spicy'), common in Sichuan cooking, is a combination of Sichuan pepper and chili pepper, and it is a key ingredient inChongqing hot pot.
Sichuan pepper is also available as an oil (Chinese:花椒油, marketed as either "Sichuan pepper oil", "Bunge prickly ash oil", or "huajiao oil"). Sichuan pepper infused oil can be used in dressing, dipping sauces, or any dish in which the flavor of the peppercorn is desired without the texture of the peppercorns themselves.
Hua jiao yan(simplified Chinese:花椒盐;traditional Chinese:花椒鹽;pinyin:huājiāoyán) is a mixture of salt and Sichuan pepper, toasted and browned in awok, and served as a condiment to accompany chicken, duck, and pork dishes.
The leaves of the sichuan pepper tree are also used in soups and fried foods.
One Himalayan specialty is themomo, adumplingstuffed with vegetables, cottage cheese, or mincedyakor beef, and flavored with Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger, and onion.In Nepal, themalaflavor is known astimur(टिमुर).
InKorean cuisine,sanchois often used to accompany fish soups such aschueo-tang.
In Indonesian Batak cuisine,andalimanis ground and mixed with chilies and seasonings into a greensambalor chili paste.Arsikis a typical Indonesian dish containingandaliman.
InTraditional Chinese medicine,Zanthoxylum bungeanumhas been used as a herbal remedy. It is listed in thePharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of Chinaand is prescribed for ailments as various as abdominal pains, toothache, and eczema. However, Sichuan pepper has no indications or accepted case for use inevidence-based medicine. Research has revealed thatZ. bungeanumcan have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects in model animals and cell cultures.In rabbits,Z. armatumwas experimentally investigated for its potential use in treating gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular disorders.
Important compounds of variousZanthoxylumspecies include:
From 1968 to 2005,the United StatesFood and Drug Administrationbanned the importation of Sichuan peppercorns because they were found to be capable of carryingcitrus canker(as the tree is in the same family,Rutaceae, as the genusCitrus). This bacterial disease, which is very difficult to control, could potentially harm the foliage and fruit of citrus crops in the U.S. The import ban was only loosely enforced until 2002.
In 2005, theUSDAand FDA allowed imports,provided the peppercorns were heated for ten minutes to approximately 140 °F (60 °C) to kill any canker bacteria.Starting in 2007, the USDA no longer required peppercorns to be heated, fully ending the import ban on peppercorns.