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Sichuan Pepper
Native to the Sichuan province in China. It is one of the ingredients of five-spice powder. It is not actually related to the pepper plant - the 'peppercorns' grow on a shrubby tree not a vine like true peppercorns. The berries are dried and sold either whole or with the shiny black seed removed. It is best to buy the de-seeded variety as the seeds are gritty when crushed. The red husks are the part used for fragrance and flavour and have a curious numbing effect on the tongue and lips; quite different from the pungent bite of pepper or the sting and burn of chilli. Dry roasting them in a pan brings out the flavour and makes them easy to grind using a mortar and pestle. Also known as: Szechuan pepper, anise pepper, Chinese pepper, fagara, wild pepper and sansho.
