Green Sichuan Pepper

Green Sichuan pepper, tingling lime freshness for Asian cooking

The dried fruit husks of green Sichuan pepper delight with intense lime aromas. Floral, exotic notes bring an exciting freshness to the plate. Unlike true pepper, Sichuan pepper comes from a citrus plant, its characteristic tingle on the tongue is world-famous and makes it the indispensable spice of Sichuan cooking. From China, packed in our workshop in Klingenberg am Main.

Taste & aroma

Green Sichuan pepper is more intense, fresher and more citrus-like than the red variety. Instead of a burning heat, it creates a pleasant, lightly numbing tingle on the lips and tongue (in Chinese málà). Added to this are floral notes and a clear lime aroma.

How to use

With its light, tingling heat, green Sichuan pepper goes ideally with Asian dishes. In dishes „Sichuan-style“ it must not be missing. Ideal for wok dishes, poultry, fish, mapo tofu and noodle soups. Even dark chocolate and citrus fruits (e.g. sorbets) harmonise wonderfully with this exotic pepper.

Good to know: store dry, dark and well sealed. Roast briefly in a dry pan just before use and crush fresh in the mortar, this activates the essential oils and makes the tingle most intense.

At a glance

• Dried fruit husks of green Sichuan pepper
• An intense lime aroma with a tingling, lightly numbing heat
• A classic of Sichuan cooking, for wok, fish and poultry
• Also with dark chocolate and citrus sorbets
• From China, packed in Klingenberg am Main, without additives

Goes well with

For Asian cooking: galangal for Thai and Indonesian dishes, Chinese Wokspice as a wok blend. A pepper complement: real red Kampot pepper. A salt finish: fleur de sel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sichuan pepper a true pepper?
No, Sichuan pepper comes from a citrus plant (Zanthoxylum) and is botanically not related to true pepper (Piper nigrum). Hence the characteristic citrus aroma.

Why does Sichuan pepper tingle on the tongue?
The active compound sanshool creates a lightly numbing tingle on lips and tongue. Combined with chili, this produces the famous málà sensation of Sichuan cooking.

How does green Sichuan pepper differ from red?
Green Sichuan pepper is fresher, more citrus-like and more intense in its tingle. Red Sichuan pepper is warmer, more floral and a little milder.

How do I store green Sichuan pepper?
Store it dry, dark and well sealed. Roast the fruit husks and crush them only just before use, then the tingle stays most intense.