Sichuan Pepper - Names

Names

Sichuan pepper is known in Chinese as huājiāo (花椒; literally "flower pepper"). A lesser-used name is shānjiāo (山椒; literally "mountain pepper"; not to be confused with Tasmanian mountain pepper), which is also the root of the Japanese sanshō (山椒?). Confusingly, the Korean sancho (산초, 山椒) refers to a different if related species (Z. schinifolium), while Z. piperitum is known as chopi (초피).

The name hua jiao (lit. "flower pepper") in a strict sense refers to the Northern China peppercorn, Zanthoxylum bungeanum, or at least that appears to be the common consensus in current scholarly literature. However, hua jiao is also the generic term in commerce for all such viable spices harvested from the genus. This includes Z. simulans Hance), identified by a taxonomical authorities as the ye hua jiao (野花椒, lit. "wild peppercorn"), though elsewhere given as chuan-jiao (川椒, lit. "Sichuan pepper"), leading to the contention to hail this the bona fide "Sichuan pepper".

The Indian subcontinent uses a number of varieties of Sichuan pepper. In Konkani it is known as tephal or tirphal. In Nepali, Z. alatum is known as timur (टिमुर), while in Tibetan, it is known as yer ma (གཡེར་མ) and in Bhutan as thingay.

In Indonesia's North Sumatra province, around Lake Toba, Z. acanthopodium is known as andaliman in the Batak Toba language and tuba in the Batak Karo language.

In America, it is possible to come across names such as "Szechwan pepper," "Chinese pepper," "Japanese pepper," "aniseed pepper," "Sprice pepper," "Chinese prickly-ash," "Fagara," "sansho," "Nepal pepper," "Indonesian lemon pepper," and others, sometimes referring to specific species within this group, since this plant is not well known enough in the West to have an established name. Some brands also use the English description "Dehydrated Prickly Ash" since Sichuan pepper, and Japanese sansho, are from related plants that are sometimes called prickly ash because of their thorns (Note however that purveyors in the US do sell native prickly ash species (Z. americanum), because it is recognized as a folk remedy).