Red Szechuan<tc>pepper</tc> Huā jiāo

Our red huā jiāo. In full dà hóng páo huā jiāo, is a special Szechuanpepper. Like other Szechuanpeppers characterized by the typical citrus and lavender aroma, but with a clear rose aroma, hence the name 'flower'pepper', which has nothing to do with the shape of the fruit.

This Szechuanpepper is the dried, ripe berry of the Zanthoxylum bungeanum, one of the many species of toothache tree, called prickley ash in English because of the enormous spines on the trunk and branches. The pepper becomes Szechuanpepper named after the region where it naturally grows, Szechuan, home to one of the ten classical Chinese cuisines.

The name of this pepper is a combination of Dà hóng páo and huā jiāo, which in Szechuan dialect means flowerpepper means. Dà hóng páo hua jiāo means tributepepper, a reference to the legend of Dà hóng páo (meaning long red robe) which takes place in the karst mountains of Wuyishan in Fujian, where Dà hóng páo tea, an exclusive oolong, is also picked.

The Zanthoxylum is a plant that can grow into a large tree, the bark of which is covered with coarse, sometimes woody spines. The bark appears to be covered with a row of "teeth," perhaps hence the Dutch name "toothache tree." In traditional Chinese medicine, the peppers and the root - not surprisingly given the appearance of the tree - used to combat toothache.

The ripe berry is picked in early autumn, as soon as the berries burst open and the rather bitter seeds are released. The seed pods are traditionally sun-dried, but better varieties are no longer dried. The better quality Szechuanpepper - this one too - contains little or no seeds and little or no stems, and is dried under conditioned conditions.

There is a clear difference in taste between the larger berry of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and the smaller one of Zanthoxylum piperitum, which makes the former very popular with Asian chefs. In the Chinese consumer market, but also in other Asian countries (and Europe), the small and often darker berry is the most sought-after, partly due to its lower price. Even the "old guard" in China clings to the taste of this widely available Szechuan.pepper, with a preference for the unripe, green ones.

The unique sharpness experience of sanshol

Characteristic of all Zanthoxylumpeppers, and so also for this Szechuanpepper is the tingling you experience on the tip of your tongue due to a substance in the pepper called sanshool, named after the Japanese sanshō. The pungency is caused by the amides in the fruit's peel: α-, β-, γ-, and δ-sanshool, α-hidroxy sanshool, and β-hidroxy sanshool. The numbing effect is primarily caused by γ sanshool and α-hidroxy sanshool. The amount of α-hidroxy sanshool in the berries can amount to (well over) 50‰ of the dry weight, while γ sanshool accounts for around 5‰.

Szechuan is considered the sharpest Zanthoxylumpepper. The Indonesian andaliman - a fairly rare species - is conveniently forgotten, because this 'Batakpepper' is also quite sharp. Incidentally, ripe berries are sharper than unripe ones.

The tingling sensation is accompanied by a slight numbness, jokingly compared to tasting a 9-volt battery. A single berry is enough to experience that! This somatosensation, stimulation by touch, has been used for centuries as an anesthetic in traditional Asian medicine. Its effects are very complex and the subject of extensive studies. Hydroxy-α-sanshol, in particular, is said to cause the tingling, and there are certain parallels with the pungency experienced with capsaicin, the pungent substance in chili peppers.pepper, but also with menthol and mustard oil.

Smell and taste

The Szechuan berry contains

• linalyl acetate, responsible for a pleasant citrus, bergamot and lavender scent,
• limonene, the scent of lemon peel,
• geraniol, rose scent,
• geranyl acetate, lavender fragrance.
• β-pinene, pine resin, and
• linalool, responsible for the scents of rosewood and coriander

A ripe berry contains significantly more linalool, geraniol and geranyl acetate than a green berry.

The aromas develop during maturation, in red Szechuanpepper citrus and lavender predominate.

Combinations

Szechuanpepper combines excellently with citrus (kafir leaf), lemongrass, coconut, coriander leaf, curry leaf, exotic fruits, poultry, shellfish and shells.

Usage

Szechuanpepper occupies a prominent place in both classical and modern Szechuan cuisine. It is used in virtually every dish, whole or crushed, roasted and/or ground. In Szechuan cuisine, it is very common to use Szechuanpepper To roast before grinding. Roasting is intended to bring out the flavor of the sun-dried berries. For our pepper roasting is not really necessary.

Szechuanpepper is one of the ingredients of five-spice powder (wǔxiāng fěn).

For those who don't know Szechuanpepper is known, it is advisable to start with caution, and the pepper not to be eaten raw, unlike the Nepalese timur for example, which is excellent to eat raw.

Features:

• 100% berries of the Zanthoxylum bungeanum - opening rate 90% (seed-poor)
  
• origin: Xinshao, Hunan

Assortment

• available in glass (30 grams), stand-up pouch and test tube (10 ml)
• larger quantities on request

Gift wrapping

• The jar is available in a tasteful gift packaging, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper.
• For an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the gift packaging section.

General advice

• Huā jiāo is the Szechuanpepper excellent for use in stir-fry dishes
• use Szechuanpepper sparingly, and choose whether to use the berries whole or ground
  
• allow the Szechuan to absorb moisture well, so that the taste and spiciness are optimally integrated

Save:

• save your szechuan pepper in closed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• batch **210 - best before October 2026 (10-2026)
• batch **570387 - best before October 2028 (10-2028)
• This expiration date is an indication

Batch number

The batch number helps us track which batch an item originates from. It's listed on the packing slip and invoice.