also: さんしょ
noun
Japanese pepper; Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum); Japanese prickly ash
Refers to the plant and its aromatic berries, used as a spice in Japanese cuisine. Often written in kana.
うなぎの蒲焼きに山椒をふりかけると、香りが引き立つ。
Sprinkling sansho on grilled eel brings out its aroma.
山椒の実は、ちりめんじゃこと一緒に炊くと美味しい。
Sansho berries are delicious when simmered with chirimen jako.
Katakana spelling used in botanical or culinary contexts.
Kana spelling is common in everyday use, especially in cooking contexts.
Alternate reading, less common than さんしょう.
Refers to Chinese Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum), which is similar but a different species. 山椒 is the Japanese variety.
The kanji 山椒 literally mean 'mountain pepper'. The word is native Japanese, and the exact derivation of the reading is uncertain.