Shinohata, Dried Budo Sansho, 8g
Dried budo sansho from Shinohata: the large-berried Japanese pepper, to grind as you need it.
Sansho (山椒) is the Japanese pepper, the dried berry husk of a prickly ash, with a citrus and pine aroma and a tingling, numbing finish on the tongue. Budo sansho (ぶどう山椒) is a variety from Wakayama Prefecture, named for its large berries that hang in grape-like clusters; budo means grape. This is Shinohata's dried budo sansho in an 8g kraft pouch. Grind it just before use for the most aroma.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Grind to order: fresh-ground sansho keeps the citrus top notes that ready-ground loses quickly.
- Budo variety: the large-berried sansho Wakayama is known for.
- Tingle, not burn: a numbing, mouth-watering buzz rather than chilli heat.
- A little goes far: 8g is plenty, as a pinch seasons a dish.
How to Use
- Unagi: the classic: a pinch over grilled eel kabayaki.
- Yakitori and grilled meat: grind over chicken, duck or pork straight off the grill.
- Sansho salt: grind with flaky salt for tempura and karaage.
- Cross-cuisine: with pork belly, roast duck or in a citrus shortbread.
Sansho is Zanthoxylum piperitum, from the same genus as Sichuan pepper, and it has been a Japanese seasoning for centuries. The tingle comes from the husk, not the black seed inside. Its young leaves, kinome (木の芽), are a spring garnish, and the ground husk is the pepper on the table at an eel restaurant. Wakayama Prefecture grows most of Japan's sansho, and budo sansho is its best-known variety.
Learn more: Sansho - The Japanese Pepper
Pairs with: Shinohata budo sansho powder (6g), S&B shichimi togarashi and Yawataya shichimi togarashi.
What does sansho pepper taste like?
Citrus first: a lemony, yuzu-like aroma with a green, pine-resin edge. Then the tingle arrives, a light numbing buzz on the lips and tongue that makes the mouth water, without the burn of chilli. Fresh-ground budo sansho is bright and lifted; pre-ground sansho that has sat for months tastes flat by comparison. It cuts through fat, which is why it sits so well with eel, duck and pork.
Product Details
| Type | Dried budo sansho (乾燥ぶどう山椒), Japanese pepper |
| Brand | Shinohata |
| Variety | Budo sansho, a Wakayama variety |
| Origin | Japan |
| Net Weight and Format | 8g kraft pouch |
| Best Used As | Ground fresh over grilled eel, yakitori, duck and pork, or as sansho salt |
Is sansho the same as Sichuan pepper?
They are close relatives in the same genus, Zanthoxylum, and share the tingling, numbing effect. Sansho is generally more citrus-led and lighter, while Sichuan pepper is more woody and floral. They can stand in for each other at a pinch, but sansho is the right choice for Japanese dishes such as unagi and yakitori.
How do I grind sansho?
Use a small pepper mill, a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar, and grind only what you need. Pick out any black seeds first if you want a finer, cleaner powder, as the flavour is in the husk. A suribachi, the ridged Japanese mortar, does the job well. Ground sansho loses aroma within days, so little and often is best.
How should I store it?
Keep the pouch sealed, out of direct sunlight and at room temperature, as the pack advises. Air, light and heat dull the aroma, so press the air out before closing. Whole dried sansho holds its aroma far longer than ground, which is one reason to grind to order.
SKU : S0291