Sansho Pepper - Coup de Foudre

What is Bhutanese sansho pepper?

Bhutanese sansho pepperis a spice very similar to Japanese sansho pepper. However, it differs on one point: its colour. While the Japanese sansho pepper is green, Bhutanese sansho pepper is browner on the outside. It can also be confused aesthetically with red Szechuan pepper. If all these peppers have this name, you should know that they are not really peppers, but berries. Bhutanese sansho pepper is an open berry. The reason I chose to introduce you to this pepper is simply because I fell in love with it at first sight. Its nose and flavors are unique and make it an exceptional pepper. You might be tempted to grind it in a mill to taste it, I prefer to crush it in a mortar. Bhutanese sansho pepper belongs to the Zanthoxylum genus. As such, it is its pericarp that concentrates the aromatic complexity.

What is the flavour of Bhutanese sansho pepper?

While most of the peppers we have mentioned reveal citrus notes, Bhutanese sansho pepper definitely has a more lemony taste. One discovers notes of lemon caviar, lemongrass and yuzu as the tasting progresses. It is both fresh and spicy with a slight tingle in the finish.

The harvest of Bhutanese sansho pepper

Zanthoxylum grows on the heights of Bhutan in the Himalayan mountains. Bhutanese sansho pepper is a rare and wild spice harvested in early summer before being dried in the sun. If during this stage the pericarp splits in half and the seed is removed from the berry.

How to use Bhutanese sansho pepper?

Bhutanese sansho pepper is a little gustatory wonder with its pronounced lemony notes. To try it is to adopt it, all the more so as it will slip into all your most audacious recipes. Here are some recipes to sublimate by adding a little Bhutanese sansho pepper.

Our recipe ideas with Bhutanese sansho pepper

The starter: mackerel rillettes with Bhutanese Sansho pepper

Fish and lemon, it's no surprise to anyone, they go together perfectly. I suggest you make your own mackerel rillettes, it's extremely simple, it's a combination of butter, mackerel, cream mustard and chives. Add pepper sansho, and it's a crossing on the most beautiful seas of the globe that awaits you.

The dish: cod back, risotto and pepper sansho

Take it up a notch with a delicious cod back with homemade risotto. Here, the sansho pepper will be used in a delicious butter sauce to accompany your cod. How about lemon butter? Well here, you're going to prepare a peppercorn sansho butter that you'll tell me about.

Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake and Bhutanese peppercorn sansho

I suggest you to finish your meal gently and make a cheesecake to which you will add some lemon notes with your Bhutanese pepper. This will bring freshness and a slight spiciness that will counterbalance the strength of the chocolate.

Health benefits of Bhutanese sansho pepper

Bhutanese sansho pepper isn't really pepper. However, it has some very interesting virtues that should make you appreciate it even more. First of all, it is known for its digestive virtues. It relieves stomach pains and brings a touch of well-being after meals. Soothing and anaesthetizing, it helps to relieve various pains. Bhutanese sansho pepper is also a very good antioxidant, it strengthens your body and acts against cell ageing.

The conservation of Bhutanese sansho pepper

Bhutanese sansho pepper should preferably be stored in a dry place away from light.