Many cookbooks and other sources recommend substituting black pepper for Szechuan peppercorns. Although this will deliver some pungency to the mixture, the flavor is not a very close match at all. Despite both spices being referred to as “pepper,” Szechuan peppercorns and black peppercorns are not related and have distinctly different flavors.
Black Peppercorns
Black peppercorns come from a vine called Piper nigrum, of the genus Piper and the family Piperaceae. The peppercorns are the dried fruits, or “drupes” of the plant. What we know as white pepper are the same fruits, with the darker skin of the fruit removed. They can also be pink, red, orange, or green, due to processes used to preserve the color when drying, although this is less common. Spices from many other species are also known as “pepper.”
Szechuan Peppercorns
Chinese Szechuan peppercorns come from one of two species of plants in the citrus family, also sometimes called prickly ash. The peppercorns come from either Zanthoxylum simulans or Zanthoxylum bungeanum. There is also a related Japanese spice called sansho, or Zanthoxylum piperitum.
The spice is the dried rinds of these small fruits. These contain chemicals such as citronellal and citronella that are similar to the chemicals piperine in black pepper and capsaicin in chile peppers. However, they are much more aromatic and less pungent.
At the same time, Szechuan pepper produces a strange sensation in the mouth, such as tingling or buzzing, usually reported as pleasant. They also have a more acrid aftertaste. Overall, the flavor and experience are much different than black pepper and much more complex.
However, you may want to go easy at first, as Szechuan peppercorns can tend to overwhelm other flavors. They also contain an alkaloid that temporarily numbs the tongue. While many writers on Chinese cooking claim that this reduces the heat sensation from chiles and brings out other flavors, I’ve found them to dull flavors unless only very small amounts are used.
Szechuan peppercorns are one of the traditional ingredients in Chinese Five-Spice Powder, although star anise and cinnamon are more dominant. They are the defining spice in Szechuan cuisine, commonly used in stir-fries and sauces to complement the bold and spicy dishes of the region. They add a fragrant and citrusy flavor that is distinct unto itself, and cannot be duplicated with other spices, including black pepper.
U.S. Szechuan Peppercorn Ban
Starting in 1968, the U.S. government banned the import of Szechuan peppercorns, commonly spelled Sichuan. They were found to carry bacteria that could harm U.S. citrus crops, called citrus canker.
There was no danger to humans, and the ban was finally lifted in 2005, as long as the peppercorns were heated to at least 158°F (70°C), sufficient to kill the bacteria, before being imported. They are now available in specialty markets and online.
Note on the Spelling of Szechuan
There are at least three commonly used spellings of Szechuan on the internet and in printed sources. One is sichuan and another is szechwan with a W instead of a U. Undoubtedly, there are other, less common renderings as well. There are different ways to transliterate or “Romanticize” Chinese words.
The People’s Republic of China now officially uses the term Sichuan for the province, the pinyin spelling, but the spelling of Szechuan is still more common when referring to the cuisine or the food items.
