People are pretty intimidated by sanshou. It's a very old spice that's native to Japan and Korea and has been used in Japanese cooking for thousands of years for its flavor as well as its medicinal and preservative qualities. It's a shrub in the citrus family that produces little fruits (peppercorns) that are ground or cooked with whole. It's earthy and lemony with a little kick and a hint of mint and it's slightly tingly on the tongue. But how do you use it? It's a finishing spice, so you sprinkle it over food right before you serve it or you put it out on the table so people can season their food with it while they eat. It goes especially well with fatty, rich foods, like duck or sui-gyoza (boiled and served in a brothy sauce) and is indispensable for unagi (Japanese eel) and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers). An easy way to try it and learn to love and crave its flavor is by cutting it with salt (3 parts sansho to 1 part salt) and use that over french fries, steak, fried chicken, etc.

Yes, you can buy cheap versions of sanshou, but then you'll never really understand what makes it so special. This one is made from a varietal of Asakura Sanshou called Mountain Asakura Sanshou. It has the smallest fruit of the Japanese Sanshou varietals, which means the aroma, color, and color is extra punchy. It also means that it is the hardest to grind to a powder which is why Tsujita-san only uses stone mills (not electric mills) to grind this sansho. Electric mills grind quickly and create heat, which kills the color and the aroma. By using stone mills, they are able to grind slowly and meticulously.

0.53 oz 

*To preserve the freshness, please store in the fridge or freezer