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Spices & seasonings · Ground spices

Sansho pepper

Japanese pepper: ground green-brown husks with a lemony aroma and a light tingling numbness. Classic on grilled eel.

Also called: japanese pepper, sanshō, sansho powder, kona-zansho, chopi

Around the world: 山椒 (ja) · 초피 (ko)

A kind of spices

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

What it is

Sansho is the dried, ground husk of the berries of Zanthoxylum piperitum, a relative of Sichuan pepper native to Japan and Korea. It is sold mainly as a fine greenish powder. It has a bright citrus, almost lime-peel aroma and causes a lighter tingle than Sichuan pepper. The young leaves (kinome) are used as a garnish in spring.

Zanthoxylum piperitum

How it’s used

  • Sprinkled on grilled eel (unagi kabayaki)
  • Yakitori and grilled meats
  • One of the components of shichimi togarashi
  • Miso soups and simmered dishes as a table seasoning
  • Chirimen sansho (simmered baby fish with green sansho berries)

Characteristics

Taste
Lemony, sharp and lightly numbing.
Sold as
powder, whole
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Used as a garnish
Common in
Japanese, Korean

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Small sealed tins; the aroma fades within a few months of opening, so buy little and keep it cool.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
251 kcal
Protein
10.39 g
Carbohydrate
63.95 g
Fat
3.26 g
Fibre
25.3 g
Sugars
0.64 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, pepper, black (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Sichuan peppercorns — Toast and grind Sichuan pepper, use about half as much, and add a little lemon zest.

Related ingredients

Recipes with sansho pepper

No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.

More ground spices