Kimchi Conflicts, Ep. 1-2: Sorcerers of Sharpe, Tingling Sensations in My Kimchi Kitchen

I might have had to make my kimchi marry her cousin, Jepigaru.

What Exactly is Sanchogaru?

When I looked for sanchogaru in the Netherlands, where I live and make kimchi in my home kitchen, Sichuan pepper appeared as a possible substitute. The simplest reason was translation: sanchogaru became “Sichuan pepper powder.” So yes, it was related to the famous mala sensation after all. I had never imagined that. Another alternative was Japanese sansho powder, kona-zanshō. The three powders are related, but they are not necessarily the same.

The shared botanical name is Zanthoxylum. More precisely, Zanthoxylum is a globally distributed genus in the citrus family, Rutaceae. Korean sancho, the origin of sanchogaru, is generally identified as Zanthoxylum schinifolium, whose native range extends from central and eastern China across temperate East Asia. Meanwhile, Sichuan pepper, which I used as an alternative to the Korean sancho powder, is not a single species but a culinary umbrella term covering Zanthoxylum bungeanum, Zanthoxylum armatum, and other Zanthoxylum species, including Zanthoxylum schinifolium.

Indeed, I accidentally added not only the very witch powder to my kimchi but also its other sorceress family members.

Indeed, I accidentally added not only the very witch powder to my kimchi but also its other sorceress family members.

Zanthoxylum schinifolium. Source: Van den Berk Nurseries.

The taste of kimchi paste with Sichuan powder was great; far better than without it.

But,

the sense of triumph started shaking once I, again, accidentally remembered a term, jepigaru, and yes, did research to find out why the word came to mind, not letting go of this urge to dig in.

There is another one in the wizard Zanthoxylum family, Zanthoxylum piperitum, the species known in Japan as sanshō. Yes, the Japanese alternative. And guess what? In Korea, this species is called chopi (초피), or regionally jepi (제피), and its culinary use is especially associated with southern Korean foodways. Zanthoxylum piperitum, for jepigaru, the jepi powder, is associated mainly with southern Korea, while the more cold-hardy Zanthoxylum schinifolium, for sanchogaru, is found much more widely, including in central regions.

Morphological characteristics of Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Zanthoxylum piperitum (Fig. 1B, E, F-4, G-4) as reported by Ryu et al. (2016).

In terms of taste, chopi/jepi is generally described as having a sharper, more numbing bite, whereas sancho is often described as more gently aromatic.

I felt something was wrong instantly.

Both sancho kimchi (산초김치) and jepi kimchi (제피김치) exist in Korea, at least in name. Descriptions of dishes called sancho kimchi, as well as my own sensory memory, seem to point toward the sharper, more numbing character generally associated with jepi.

And,

Sancho and chopi/jepi are sometimes spoken of interchangeably, despite being botanically distinct.

I did a tiny scale of verification with my mother. Proved.

Knowing all this, I am no longer sure whether I should have titled this article When Jepigaru marries Gochugaru, not as the story of Sanchogaru’s integration. When my aunt’s mother-in-law shouted for sanchogaru, was she botanically referring to sancho, or to jepi under a locally interchangeable name? This does not settle the botanical question, but it deepens my suspicion that the ingredient remembered as sanchogaru may sometimes have been jepigaru.

I will return to this unsettlement after making another batch with Japanese sanshō powder available in asian supermarkets in the Netherlands, if possible. For now, however, this article celebrates my daring use of Sichuan pepper powder to see whether I could find, or even create, a taste of home in this lowland. I will therefore keep Sanchogaru in the title: terminologically, it remains closest to the words actually shouted in the event that inspired this piece.

Anyway.

Are those witch peppers only used for red, spicy tastes in Far East Asian dining?

No.

Across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, different Zanthoxylum species have been used not only as foods and spices, but also as medicines. Modern studies have scientifically investigated these traditions, though this does not mean that culinary use has proven medical effects. A review of the genus discusses traditional uses for pain, microbial infections, and parasitic illnesses. A systematic review of Zanthoxylum bungeanum, one of the plants associated with Sichuan pepper, notes its use for digestive disorders, toothache, stomachache, and diarrhea. In Japan, Zanthoxylum fruit is part of daikenchuto, a Kampo medicine widely prescribed for gastrointestinal function. In Korea, Zanthoxylum schinifolium, or sanchogaru, is traditionally described as a fruit peel used to warm the middle, remove dampness, stop pain, and remove parasites, with cautions including avoiding it during pregnancy.

But this does not seem to mean that a spoonful of powder in kimchi is instantly curing an infection, a headache, or diabetes. It sounds to me that these plants have moved between kitchens and medical traditions for a very long time.

How about their taste?

Their sensory character is unmistakable. Depending on the species and preparation, they can be citrusy, bitter, pungent, resinous, green, floral, and gently numbing. The numbing sensation does not come from capsaicin, the compound that makes chili hot. It comes largely from compounds known as sanshools. One study on Sichuan pepper found that people perceived the tingling at around 50 Hz, almost like a tiny vibration in the mouth. In everyday terms, that is close to the low hum of European electricity or a deep bass vibration: not one clear touch, but fifty tiny pulses per second. This is why the sensation feels less like spiciness and more like a small electrical buzz spreading across the mouth. So the buzz is not just poetic exaggeration. This powder really behaves like a strange little somatosensory instrument.

References

Hagura et al. (2013). Food vibrations: Asian spice sets lips trembling. Proceedings of The Royal Society. B 1 November 2013; 280 (1770): 20131680. https://doi.org/101098/rspb.2013.1680

Okagu et al. (2021). Zanthoxylum Species: A Comprehensive Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological and Nutraceutical Applications. Molecules, 26(13), 4023. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26134023

Rye et al. (2016). Morphological Characteristics and Genetic Diversity Analysis of Cultivated Sancho (Zanthoxylum schinifolium) and Chopi (Zanthoxylum piperitum) in Korea. Korean Journal of Plant Resources, 29(5), 555-563. https://doi.org/10.7732/kjpr.2016.29.5.555

Xiang et al. (2016). The Chemical and Genetic Characteristics of Szechuan Pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Z. armatum) Cultivars and Their Suitable Habitat. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 467. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00467

Zhang et al. (2017). Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim (Rutaceae): A Systemic Review of Its Traditional Uses, Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicology. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(10), 2172. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18102172