Sichuan pepper CO2 Absolute
Origin: China

• Details and product description

  Introduction:

  Thorny shrub 10 meters high, short trunk and spreading foliage. Its bark is smooth, gray, covered with spectacular thorns. The branches have flat prickles. Deciduous foliage: alternate leaves, 20 cm long, composed of 5 to 11 small toothed leaflets, with a larger terminal leaflet. The leaves give off an odor when they are crushed. The yellowish-green or pink summer flowers are grouped in clusters. The fruits are small berries 5 mm in diameter, aromatic, pink (Asian), black or dark blue (American) which burst to release a black seed. The fruit of Sichuan pepper has a special effect in the mouth, a kind of anesthesia that leads to a sensation of numbness, tingling and unusual freshness.

  History:

  Sichuan pepper is an ancient spice. So old that the Book of Songs, written more than 3000 years ago, refers to it. The plant grows all over China. However, it is well known that the people of the Sichuan region are particularly fond of it. Traditional local dishes have “ma” in their names. This syllable refers to the “numbness,” which is the pepper’s effect on the tongue. Li Shizhen, a famous doctor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), used it to treat diarrhea. It is also used to repel ants, flies and other insects, which flee the very strong odor of these dark brown peppercorns. Long ago, bricks of pepper were put in the bedrooms of imperial ladies. Finally, its multiple seeds symbolize fertility. It is recommended to families who hope for several children. Sichuan pepper, known in Chinese as a pepper blossom (hua jiao), has been one of the staple foods in southwest China for centuries. It is mentioned in the writings of Confucius in the 5th century BC. The ancient Chinese used it to mix with rice wine to add some spice to their powerful drink. Pepper, which is a key element in the Chinese 5-spice powder, has traveled the world with the Chinese diaspora. In 1968, the pepper was banned from the United States, after discovering that it was carrying citrus canker, a bacterial infection that is harmless to humans but devastating for citrus crops. This was followed by a black market for Sichuan pepper until the ban was lifted in 2005.

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