Fresh green Szechuan pepper

Sichuan pepper (or Szechuan pepper) is plant fruit which is used as a spice. The outer pods of some species in the genus Zanthoxylum are used to make the spice. Many people in Asia grow them for the spice. Although the plants are called peppers, they are not related to either black pepper or Chili pepper.

Sichuan pepper has a unique aroma and taste. This taste is quite different from that of black or white pepper or chile pepper. It tastes a little like lemon. It also creates a special feeling in the mouth, a kind of numbness.