Szechuan pepper Distribution & Uses
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Distribution
The plant species of the genus Zanthoxylum can be found in the entire Asian region, but are not always grown as a useful plant. The main distribution area is located primarily in the Himalayan region. Szechuan pepper as a spice, especially in central China, Tibet, Japan and Korea is used. Fewer large deposits are also in African and American regions. Chinese names are huājiāo (花椒, flowers and flower pepper pepper), shānjiāo (山椒; mountain pepper), chuānjiāo (川椒, Sichuan pepper), or qínjiāo (秦 椒, Chinese pepper). Chinese shānjiāo is also the Japanese and Korean sanshō sancho (산초) basis (the Korean name refers to the type schinifolium Zanthoxylum).
Use
As a spice, the dried and used most of the seeds of liberated seed capsules. The capsules are wrinkled round of red-brown to black in color and strong. Harvest the ripe fruit of Szechuan pepper is in August, the fruits are then dried at 40-60 ° C. Sometimes the seed capsules are ground and used as a spice powder. Most, however, the whole seed capsules sold and crushed or ground before the preparation of the courts themselves.
A characteristic feature is the sharp-tingling flavor that causes a feeling of numbness in lips and tongue. Those responsible for this feeling substances are different amides, which account for up to three percent of the ingredients of the seed capsules. In Chinese, this taste impression than má (麻 is called) and the usual sharpness là (辣) distinction. This flavor is just the Sichuan cuisine its independent character. Heavily influenced dishes like the hot pot (Chinese 火锅 / 火锅, Huǒguō), Dandan Mian (担 担 面, Dandan mian, noodles with spicy sauce), spicy beef (水煮 牛肉, Shuǐ Zhǔ Niúròu) and Mapo bean cheese (麻 婆 豆腐, Má Pó Dòufǔ, tofu with minced meat). Szechuan pepper is also part of the mix of spices, five spice powder.
However, even unripe fruits, leaves and flowers of plants are mainly used in Japanese cuisine. The young and fresh leaves are soaked and mixed with miso paste as Kinome (木の芽 called). Kinome is often used as a garnish on soups and other dishes. For the spice paste Misansho immature fruit is boiled with salt. This paste is mainly used for the preparation of fish to alleviate the sometimes unpleasant fishy odor.
Szechuan pepper is also found in traditional Chinese medicine use. In Germany the plant is sold also designed as a bonsai.
Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szechuanpfeffer
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