2023/10/28 15:06
Do you know the difference between Chinese Sansho and Japanese Sansho?
The spice called "Sansho" is a Japanese pepper with a unique scent and spiciness that enhances the flavor your dishes. Today I would like to introduce some basic information about Sansho!
Chinese Sansho vs. Japanese Sansho
Biological differences
Both Chinese Sansho and Japanese Sansho are classified as plants of the genus citrus. There are more than 200 species of plants in the world, and they are all related to the same genus and species, yet they are very different from each other.
⚫︎Chinese Sansho - A plant native to China called Zanthoxylum bungeanum used for Sichuan pepper and Green Sichuan pepper
⚫︎Japanese Sansho - A plant native to Japan known as Hajikami
Differences in taste and flavor
In contrast to Chinese Sichuan pepper, which has a strong and intense flavor, Japanese sansho is very delicate. Though it depends on the processing method, Japanese pepper, in its powdered form, does not have much of a spiciness but a refreshing flavor that reminds one of citrus fruits. Chinese Green pepper tastes somewhere between Chinese Red pepper and Japanese pepper, though its flavor is a little more like the Chinese Red pepper.
Differences in Usage
Chinese Sansho is mainly used by drying the skin of the pepper seed, but Japanese pepper is used for its flower, seed and leaves. Japanese pepper is processed into "chirimen-sansho" drying its seed, and the seed is sometimes referred to as "Ao-zansho".
It is confusing that "Ao-zansho" is the same kind of pepper as the Green Sichuan pepper (Chinese pepper), but they are not the same thing. The usage of Green Sichuan pepper is basically the same as that of Red Sichuan pepper grinding the dried pepper and sprinkle on or mix into food.
Red Sansho vs. Green Sansho
What is the difference between Red Sansho and Green Sansho?
The green sansho is a pre ripened pepper. The red sansho is harvested after fully ripened and turned into red on the tree. I was confused because I could not tell the difference between Japanese green pepper and the Chinese Sichuan pepper.
Red Sansho from the Mountain House
What we sell at the Mountain House is Japanese Red sansho pepper.
After the sansho is carefully harvested by hands, it gets dried and sorted into the leaves, branches and seed. This process takes us a several days.
Once the leaves and branches have been removed, next step is sorting them into the skin and the seed. Finally the seed is ground by a special machine to complete the process.
Although the Red sansho is time-consuming, it is rare in Japan and it is fully ripened flavor.
Summary of the types and characteristics of sansho
The following is a summary of the flavors of sansho introduced so far.
Sichuan pepper (Chinese Red sansho pepper)
Plant: Kahoku Sansho, a plant native to China
Characteristics: Numbing spiciness
The flavor is very strong and refreshing, and you can enjoy its intense flavor, especially if you grind the whole one just before eating it.
Green Sichuan pepper (Chinese Green sansho pepper)
Plant: Kahoku Sansho, a plant native to China
Characteristics: More mild spiciness than the red pepper, and the numbing is not so strong.
It has a fresher and elegant flavor.
Aka-sansho (Japanese Red sansho pepper)
Plant: Hajikami, a plant native to Japan
Characteristics: Mild spiciness with a less intense numbing
Fresh, mellow and fruity flavor
Ao-sansho (Japanese Green sansho pepper)
Plant: Hajikami, a plant native to Japan
Characteristics: Sharp spiciness and numbing
Refreshing flavor like a citrus
At first glance, sansho may seem to have limited uses, but it can be used not only in Japanese and Chinese cuisine, but also in Western cuisine! You can also add a little accent to your dishes by processing it into oil.
We hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy the charm of Sansho🌱.
