A selection of 'szechuan peppers'

Zanthoxylum is the Yellowwood genus, a plant genus that is not only known for its beautiful yellow wood, but especially for the Szechuan pepper. Szechuan pepper is not only the name of the pepper berries growing in China, but also that of the berries that grow elsewhere on other plants of this genus, and which are also used for consumption.

All plants in the Zanthoxylum genus have in common that the branches and trunks are provided with 'thorns'. Some species even have thorny leaves. On the trunk, the spines are often lignified and corky, and not sharp at all. They are more reminiscent of huge molars.

The trees owe their ambiguous name to a toothache tree to the combination of this external appearance and the fact that the berries are traditionally used as an anaesthetic, including against toothache, and are also used in toothpaste.

But as mentioned, the plants of this genus are especially sought after for their culinary value, to which Chinese Szechuan cuisine owes its spicy reputation. Below are the varieties of which we sell the dried fruits in our store. We give the Chinese name of each species.

Zanthoxylum acantapodium - andaliman - 毛剌花椒 máo là huā jiāo

Zanthoxylum armatum - raye timur - 刺花椒 cì huā jiāoma

Zanthoxylum piperitum - sanshō - 日本花椒 rìběn huājiāo

Zanthoxylum bungeanum - flower pepper - 花椒 huājiāo

Zanthoxylum rhetsa - (Indian) mountain pepper - 胡椒木 hújiāo mù

Zanthoxylum piperitum - Szechuan fagara pepper - ma jiāo