Sichuan Pepper

Sichuan pepper, Szechwan pepper or Szechuan pepper, a common spice used in Asian cuisine, is derived from at least two species of the global genus Zanthoxylum, including Z. simulans and Z. bungeanum. The botanical name of the genus is composed of two Greek words that together mean "yellow wood" (referring to the brightly coloured sapwood possessed by several of the species). The genus belongs in the rue or citrus family, and, despite its name, is not closely related to either black pepper or chili pepper.

The husk or hull (pericarp) around the seeds may be used whole, especially in Szechuan cuisine, and the finely ground powder is one of the blended ingredients for the five-spice powder. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine. The pericarp (hull or husk) is the part that is most often used, but the leaves of various species are used as well in some regions of China.

Another cousin native to China is Zanthoxylum schinifolium, called xiang-jiao-zi (香椒子, lit. "aromatic peppercorn") or qing-hua-jiao (青花椒, lit. "greenish-black flower pepper"), used as spice in Hebei. Yet another Zanthoxylum species provides the African spice uzazi. Because all 250 or so species of the genus seem to possess at least some of the aromatic and complex chemicals that enliven food, it is likely that most Zanthoxylum species have been used at some time as a spice.

While the exact flavour and composition of different species from the Zanthoxylum genus varies, the same essential characteristics are present to some degree in most of them. Thus, while the terms "Sichuan pepper" and "sanshō" may refer specifically to Z. simulans and Z. piperitum, respectively, the most commonly used varieties of the pepper (such as these two) are interchangeable in most cases. Outside of scientific literature, it is common to see the names used interchangeably or as blanket terms for whichever particular species of pepper is available.

Related species are used in the cuisines of Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal Thailand and the Konkani and Toba Batak peoples.