Vietnam pepper, Japanese prickly ash
Zanthoxylum ailanthoides

Family: Rutaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows 15 m high. It is a broad spreading shape. The bark is grey and green striped. It has spiny processes on it. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 30 cm long. There are 15 pairs of leaflets. These are pointed. They are 15 cm long by 5 cm wide. They are light green above and blue-green underneath. The male and female flowers occur on separate plants. They are yellow-green and in broad heads at the ends of shoots. The fruit are small and green with black seeds.

There are about 200 Zanthoxylum species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It is native to E. Asia. It grows in woodland. In southern China it grows between 300-1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The young leaves are chopped and eaten raw or cooked to flavour other dishes. The fruit are dried and crushed and used as flavouring.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit - spice

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds. The seeds need 2-3 months of cold treatment. Then they should be soaked before planting. It can also be grown from stem cuttings. 20 cm long sections are used.

Its other names

Local names

Ailanthus prickly ash, Karasu-zansho, La Tzu, Shih Chu Yu, Tang Tzu, Yueh Chiao, Yue-jiao

Synonyms

Fagara ailanthoides (Siebold et Zuccarini) Engler;