Sansho powder - Sanshō no kona

This finely ground, light green sanshō or sansho pepper – sanshō-no-kona or 七味唐辛子 – is of superior quality. It is ground in the authentic way using a millstone at the Kaneichi family business.

Awaiting harvest autumn 2026. Since 2024, the price of sansho has risen enormously, the number of suppliers of Sansho from Japanese soil has shrunk considerably, the supply is limited. Consumer prices of converted € 1.800 Prices of stone-ground sansho are no longer exceptional and higher (!) per kilogram. The purchase price has risen by another 40% over the past six months. We have therefore put the sale of sansho on hold for 2024 and 2025, pending a larger supply and more acceptable prices. We are sorry.

Kaneichi has been producing and processing sanshō, Japanese pepper, since the late nineteenth century. The grinding is traditionally done in successive passes, from coarse to (very) fine.

Sanshō is related to Chinese Szechuan pepper and Nepalese timur, but unlike these two siblings from the Yellowwood genus (Zanthoxylum), the leaves, flowers, and shoots of the sanshō tree are also eaten. Incidentally, sanshō means mountain pepper.

Sanshō pepper is believed to have been used as a spice for thousands of years, though there is no conclusive evidence to support this. During the Nara period in the 8th century, it was called naruhajika and used as a medicine for the treatment of diarrhea. It would continue to be used primarily as a medicine for a long time. It was not until the Kamakura period (1185 to 1333 AD) that it was reportedly used again as a spice by samurai during hunting. Unagi, a dish of freshwater eel with sanshō pepper, dates from that time.

It is now a prominent spice, even one of the few spices in Japanese cuisine. The unripe green berries are called sanshō-no-mi. These are sharper and more aromatic than the red sansho. The first green sanshōs appear on the market from May, the red ones in October. Sansho powder is therefore made during the summer months.

One of the first preparations ever described using sanshō is in the Okusa cookbook from the 15th century: an eel dish sprinkled with very finely ground sanshō. Since then, eel in Japan has always been prepared with sanshō, or in extreme cases with shichimi tōgarashi (seven-spice powder).

Our sanshō pepper is cultivated—not wild—and comes from Wakayama, the beating sanshō heart of Japan since the late 19th century. They are grown by the fourth generation of the Kaneichi family business, founded in 1880 by Yamamoto Katsunosuke, is considered the best 'house'. The seeds are removed before grinding, hence the beautiful green color.

The unique sharpness experience of sanshol

Characteristic of all ZanthoxylumpeppersAnd thus, for sanshō as well, the tingling sensation you experience on the tip of your tongue is caused by a substance in the pepper called sanshool, named after the Japanese spice. The spiciness is caused by the amides in the skin of the fruit: α-, β-, γ-, and δ-sanshool, α-hydroxy sanshool, and β-hydroxy sanshool. γ-sanshool and α-hydroxy sanshool are primarily responsible for the numbing effect. The amount of α-hydroxy sanshool in the berries can reach (well over) 50‰ of the dry weight, while that of γ-sanshool is around 5‰.

The tingling is accompanied by a mild numbing sensation, jokingly compared to tasting a 9-volt battery. A single berry is enough to experience this! This somatosensation, stimulation by touch, has been used for centuries as an anesthetic in traditional Asian medicine. Its mechanism of action is 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 sensation of spiciness from capsaicin, the hot substance in chili peppers, but also with menthol and mustard oil.

Scent and taste

Sanshō is a member of the citrus family, which you experience in a fragrance that is a blend of grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass, and rosewood. Interspersed throughout, you taste and smell—very lightly—mint. Characteristic of all Zanthoxylumpeppers, and so for sanshō as well, the tingling you experience on the tip of your tongue is caused by a substance in the pepper called sanshool, named after the Japanese spice.

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

A ripe berry contains significantly more linalol, geraniol, and geranyl acetate than a green berry. The aromas develop during ripening,

Combinations

Ground sanshō pepper pairs excellently with citrus (kaffir lime leaves, yuzu, or lemongrass), chocolate (for dessert), mango, and strawberry. Be sure to try it with fish tartare, squid, eel (unagi), and shellfish (scallops), but also with yakitori (grilled chicken), beef tartare, and carpaccio. Do you make your own mayonnaise? Try adding some sanshō powder to it. It makes it even richer. Delicious with smoked dishes, from sausages to salmon (danobe), with fried chicken, and as a dip for (raw) vegetables. If you don't make your own mayonnaise, try the Japanese Kewpie instead.

Mixed with salt, sanshō no kona is also an excellent seasoning for tempura.

Features:

• 100% unripe fruit of Zanthoxylum piperitum (sanshō)
• cut m.b.v. millstone
  
• origin: Wakayama, Japan
  

Assortment - subject to change -

• available in glass and stand-up pouch
• Glass jar contains 60 grams
• stand-up pouches with a capacity of up to 15 to 150 grams
• Larger quantities on request

Gift packaging

• The jar is available in 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

• Sanshō powder is a product for fine dining, suitable for use both hot and cold in savory and sweet dishes.
  
• Definitely do not cook the powder along with the powder, as it loses its wonderful flavor.
  

Save:

• store your sansho powder in a closed container
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before June 2024 (06/24)
• This expiration date is an indication.

Stock item

Due to severe supply problems, our stock is (virtually) depleted. We are currently awaiting positive news from Japan. If you would like to be kept informed, please let us know. s.v.p. know.