Sansho leaf
초피잎 / 키노메
ⓒ
Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
Young leaves from the same tree as chopi, the spice added to Korean loach soup. Chew a leaf and you get a fresh, yuzu-like aroma with a slight tingle on the tongue. In Japan, these leaves herald spring.
Flavor and aroma
- It has a fresh citrus aroma like yuzu and makrut lime, plus a grassy note.
- Your tongue tingles slightly and goes a little numb. It's sharp like pepper.
Fun facts
- It's the leaf of the tree called chopi in Korea (Zanthoxylum piperitum). In English it's also called "Korean pepper."
- The Japanese name kinome means "bud (me) of the tree (ki)."
- The tingle comes from a compound called sanshool.
- It's a relative in the same genus as Sichuan pepper, but Sichuan pepper is less citrusy and more numbing.
- The dried, ground fruit goes into shichimi, the Japanese seven-spice blend.
In the kitchen
Drinks
- Muddle it into citrus cocktails, or add it to tea and infused drinks.
Desserts
- Add its palate-refreshing aroma to desserts.
Cooking
- It goes well with fish, meat and shellfish. Serve it with sashimi and sushi.
Garnish
- Put a single leaf on clear soup, grilled fish or simmered dishes.
Dressed dishes
- Pound the leaves in a mortar and mix with miso to dress vegetables in Japanese aemono. Add it to hot pots too.
Goes well with
FishEelMisoYuzuPonzuSoy sauceTofuEggsSquash
Tips
- Place a leaf between your palms and clap before putting it on food; the aroma gets stronger. Kept chilled at 2–7°C, it lasts about 7 days.
Season
Spring
The source only says "young shoots that grow in spring," so we left the months blank.
Details
- Korean name
- 초피잎 / 키노메
- English names
- sansho leaf, kinome, Japanese pepper leaf
- Scientific name
- Zanthoxylum piperitum
- Family
- Rutaceae
Same family as citrus trees - Genus
- Zanthoxylum
- Other names and notes
- Korean: chopi
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Specialty Produce
- Koppert Cress
- Kikkoman
- Nippon.com
- South China Morning Post
Name and classification
Season
- 산림청 임산물표준재배지침 - 초피나무 — “봄에 새로 자란 어린 새순은 나물이나 장아찌로 식용하는 등 용도가 다양한 수종이다”
Photo
Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)