The Spice That Inspired Kuro-Shichimi — In Its Purest Form

When the 11th generation of Hara Ryōkaku — the 340-year spice house of Kyoto's Gion — set out to create what would become their most celebrated product, it was the mountain pepper (sansho) that captured his attention. Sansho was already an ingredient in the family's ancient health powder formula. But as a spice in its own right, it had never been given its full expression.

This is that expression. Hararyoukaku's Powdered Sansho — finely milled at the source, by the same family that has been working with sansho for over three centuries.

What Is Sansho?

Sansho (Zanthoxylum piperitum) is Japan's native mountain pepper — and it is unlike anything in the Western spice vocabulary. It is not hot. It does not burn. Instead, it numbs and tingles, producing a gentle electric sensation on the lips and tongue while releasing a clean, green, citrusy aroma that clears the sinuses and lingers.

The flavor is best described as: imagine a lemon and a peppercorn had a child, and that child could make your mouth quietly vibrate. It is simultaneously cooling and warming, aromatic and clean. Japanese cuisine uses it to balance fat and richness — with eel (unaju), grilled chicken, and miso — because nothing else on earth performs the same function.

Western chefs at the highest levels have recently discovered sansho. Michelin-starred kitchens in Paris, New York, and Copenhagen have begun incorporating it. At Hararyoukaku, this discovery is not new. It has been 340 years in the making.

How to Use

• Grilled eel (unaju): The definitive Japanese pairing — a pinch transforms the dish
• Yakitori: Applied at the final moment over charcoal
• Miso soup: A pinch on the surface brightens and lifts the fermented depth
• Pasta with butter and seafood: The numbing quality cuts through butter and pairs with brininess
• Steak: Use alongside or instead of black pepper — the effect is more aromatic and far more interesting
• Cocktails: Bartenders are using it in Negronis and citrus-forward drinks for the tingle

Product Details

• Contents: 7g bag
• Ingredients: Sansho (Japanese mountain pepper) — single ingredient
• Flavor profile: Numbing tingle, green citrus aroma, clean and aromatic
• Best Before: 6 months; use promptly after opening for peak aroma
• Producer: Hararyoukaku (原了郭), est. 1685, Gion, Kyoto

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340-year Gion spice house · The spice inspiring Michelin kitchens worldwide