No matter being called Sichuan, Szechuan, or Szechwan peppercorns, it refers to the dried ripe pods of Zanthoxylum schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc. Or pepper Z. bungeanum Maxim., which are in the family of Rutaceae in China. Peppercorn as it is named, it is not a real pepper at all, conventionally at least. Instead, it is kind of berry grown on the plant called Chinese prickly ash. In addition, its seeds, known as Zanthoxyli Semen, or Jiao Mu, are also used medicinally. It can be found in most parts of China, but it is named schezwan pepper corn simply because the product there is of the best quality. And sometimes it is called Chinese flower pepper and Sichuan numbing pepper because its unique spicy and hot taste.

The medicinal Szechuan peppercorns are usually collected in fall when the fruits are ripe. Afterwards the impurities should be removed before drying them in the sun. And then the pods are isolated from the seeds because they are used in different purposes medicinally.

RELATED COMMON CHINESE HERBAL FORMULAS
Schezuan peppers are initially shown in the Classic of Poetry (Shi Jing), which was allegedly compiled by Confucius (551–479 bc). In Ancient China, Szechuan peppercorn was often steeped in wine to add special flavor. And Qi Min Yao Shu (Main techniques for the welfare of the people) also mentioned this herb a couple times that it was used for seasoning. Besides, in his famous Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li shizhen clearly states that this herb has the acrid and numbing sensation. Now this tongue-tingling flavor has become a major feature of Sichuan cuisine and is widely used by many chefs.

From the point of TCM, it is acrid and warm in nature. And it covers a few different channels, such as spleen, kidney, and stomach. Its main functions are to warm the middle burner in order to relieve pain, kill parasites to relieve itching. Its basic uses and indications are crymodynia in stomach duct and abdomen, vomiting, Diarrhea, abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation, ascariasis, and itching due to Eczema. Usual dosage is from 3 to 6 grams, in decoction typically. External uses include fumigation and washing, in appropriate amount.

Sichuan Peppercorns

1) Wu Mei Wan
Wu Mei Wan is from Shang Han Lun (On Cold Damage). Other major herbs include Wu Mei (Mume Fruit), Gan Jiang (Dried Ginger Root), and Huang Bai (Phellodendron). This is a major prescription used for worm accumulation abdominal pain, extremely cold limbs, annoy, and vomiting of ascaris.

2) Jiao Zhu Wan
Jiao Zhu Wan is a formula from Pu Ji Fang (Prescriptions of Universal Relief). The other herb is Cang Zhu (Atractylodes). This combination is mainly formulated for Yang deficiency in spleen and stomach, cold-damp stagnation, watery diarrhea, and indigestion.

3) Da Jian Zhong Tang
Da Jan Zhong Tang comes from Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer). Main herbal ingredients are Chuan Jiao, Gan Jiang (Dried Ginger Root), and Ren Shen (Ginseng Root). This formula is good at treating deficiency-cold in spleen and stomach, abdominal cold pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

4) Chuan Jiao Wan
Chuan Jiao Wan is drawn from Xiao Er Wei Sheng Zhong Wei Fang Lun (Treatise on Formulas for Infantile Health Care). The combination of Rou Dou Kou (Nutmeg Seeds) is able to cure damp-cold induced injuries in summer and nonstop diarrhea.