Sichuan Pepper

Sometimes called fagara (because it was formerly classified in the botanical genus Fagara), known in Mandarin as hua jiao (meaning flower pepper), this is the dried fruit of Zanthoxylum simulans, one species of prickly ash. (The Japanese sansho is from another species of prickly ash, X. piperitum.) It is one of the oldest spices in recorded history. It has a resinous flavor and numbs the tongue. It is heavily used in Sichuan cooking and also plays an important role in Yunnanese cooking. In Burma it’s found in Kachin dishes, and is generally known as “Kachin pepper” in northern Burma. A related spice, probably another species of prickly ash, is also used in parts of Shan State.