What is szechuan pepper

Among the spices there are a few frauds… An example of one such fraud is the szechuan pepper, as this is technically no pepper at all. Real pepper comes from the dried berries of the pepperplant, but szechuan is really the pink shell of a citrus-like plant. You can clearly taste this when you eat a szechuan pepper. Real pepper is hot and spicy, while szechuan can be sharp and tingly on your tongue.

Anyway, this pepper is called after the Chinese provence of Sichuan or Szechuan, where it grows in the mountains on bushes. After the szechuan pepper is harvested, the little fruits are dried in the sun until they burst open. The little black seeds are taken out of the fruits and the shells are used in the kitchen.

Szechuanpepper is one of the spice pillars of the Chinese kitchen and is therefore also represented in the famous Chinese five spice mix.

The best flavor you will get if you dry roast the pepper shortly in the pan before grinding them in a pestle and mortar.

But also try and infuse your oil for a marinade with this delicious little fruit. (teaspoon of szechuan and slowly heat this for about 5 minutes in the oil you will use to marinate.