Collection: Sansho

Sanshō pepper is believed to have been used as a spice for thousands of years, although there is no conclusive evidence. It was called naruhajika during the Nara era in the 8th century and used as a medicine to treat diarrhea. Its primary use as a medicine would continue for a long time.

It wasn't until the Kamakura era (1185 to 1333 AD) that samurai reportedly used it again as a spice during hunts. Unagi, a dish of freshwater eel with sanshō pepper, dates back to that period.

Our sanshō or sansho pepper comes from Wakayama and is undeniably one of the finest sanshō. However, in recent years, something has been structurally wrong with the cultivation process, causing the pepper to repeatedly fail inspections.

No longer available.

Since 2024, the price of sansho has increased tremendously, the number of suppliers of Sansho from Japanese soil has shrunk significantly, and the supply is limited. Consumer prices of the equivalent €1,500 and higher (!) per kilogram for dried berries and €1,800 for stone-ground green sansho are no longer unusual.

The purchase price has risen again by 40% in the past six months (summer 2025). We have therefore put sansho sales on hold, pending increased supply and more reasonable prices. We are sorry.