Sichuan Pepper |Chinese Pepper

Species: Zanthoxylum simulans
Other names:   Chinese pepper, Chinese coriander

The Sichian pepper is not technically a pepper. It is the dried berries from a type of ash tree. By toasting their small seed pods and crushing them they make a delicious spice for various types of Asian cuisine. They are one of the ingredients used in five-spice powder and are ideal for soup dishes, meat and even sweetened cakes. The shiny black seeds of the Sichuan Peppercorn are gritty and should be discarded.

Only the red-brown husks are used. Their origins are Chinese and the name, meaning blond wood, derives from its color.