Sansho - The Japanese Pepper

October 09, 2018

Sansho is native to Japan. The leaves are usually used as a herb, however it is often referred to as 'Japanese pepper.' It comes from a plant called the prickly ash which is closely related to the plant that szechuan pepper is harvested.

Sansho has been used in Japan as a herbal medicine to treat diarrhea and other digestive functions during the Heian era (794 - 1185 AD) and is still believed to benefit bodily functions by some people to this day.

It is very tangy, peppery with a slight numbing quality. Mostly known as yakumi for Unagi (Eel) but there are many more ways to use sansho. Sansho leaves, seeds and even flowers are used in Japanese cooking.

Buy Sansho in our online store. 

Mi-Sansho (Mi-zansho)

Sansho is ripe in summer. Harvested while they are still green. It resembles caper. Adding unripened sansho to Nimono (slow cooked meals) will take the smells from meat and fish, and adds a slight tangy, spicy flavour to the food.

Ripened Sansho is used for sansho powder. When its ripened, red and dried it can be then be powdered. That result is the sansho spice that is used on unagi. 

(Dried sansho)

 

Hana-sansho (Hana-Zansho)

It is used as an accent for some dishes. Not as spicy and tangy as the seeds. It is added to some nabe hot pot meals and Aemono (vinegar and dressed dishes).

 

Kinome

Sansho leaves are called kinome. Leaves are used as herb, for toppings. It adds a slight citrus-ish flavour to the food. Also it is used in miso paste sometimes, it gives miso a unique tangy taste to it.

 

Sansho is unlike to any spices that is used in western countries, so i suggest you to try it out. We sell both unripe sansho seeds and sansho powder. Also, see some of our recipes for sansho here.

Buy Sansho in our online store.

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