I was garden visiting over Easter and came across a mature Szechuan pepper tree. It was really sculptural with a multi stemmed habit and amazing-looking bark with large, prickly lumps all over. Not a handsome beast but it makes up for its lack of beauty with its intriguing features and it’s autumn gift that will set your taste buds alight.
I have been meaning to look into this useful shrub culinary for a while. If you like Chinese cuisine you will be familiar with the taste of this spice which is not a true pepper but a relation. It is much more of an experience than a flavour and is used in the famous five-spice mix. I love the way Chinese make a distinction between the two elements of pepperiness: the numbing pungency (“ma”) that sets the tongue and lips tingling, and the spicy heat (“la”) more akin to the heat from a chilli. Szechuan pepper is usually more “ma” than “la”, and so is often accompanied by chilli in hotter dishes – including the mala sauce made predominantly from Szechuan pepper, chilli, oil, garlic and ginger.
Now for the good news – these little lovelies are expensive to buy but, unlike its everyday cousin black pepper which needs a hot climate to grow, it will grow very happily in our climate. They are a bit of an untidy plant and can grow quite large but they also are happy to be pruned.
There are quite a few varieties to choose from (250 actually) but Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Z. simulans are the two most common varieties – if you have a choice the former is a bit more zingy than hot – depends which way you want to go. The leaves are rather a treat too – lovely to just crush as you pass between your fingers.
So, you’ve planted the tree – in the ground or in a pot – it is no trouble and is doing well – what next? All you need to do is harvest. This is best done as soon as the pinky red seedcases begin to open and show their dark seed – usually as summer turns to autumn. The outer shell is where the heat and aromatics are held (the seed is usually flavourless) but pick whole florets, leave them to dry somewhere warm for a day or two, and they should be ready to go into the peppermill.
Keep the rest in an a dry airtight container and feel justifiably satisfied at your home grown taste of exotica.
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