Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
What budo sansho is
- The name comes from how it ripens. The small berries grow gathered together like a bunch of grapes.
- The berries are large and rich in the compounds that carry scent, so it is held to be in a class of its own among sansho.
- It comes from Aridagawa Town (有田川町) in Wakayama Prefecture, a place called the birthplace of sansho and long known as the leading producer in Japan.
- On steep mountain plots, families have kept growing a crop that does not take well to the flatlands, generation after generation.
That green powder that comes with grilled unagi. Sansho is a familiar spice on the Japanese table, though it is not widely known that its scent, too, has places it comes from.
Among them, the large-berried "budo sansho," which ripens in clusters, is held to be in a class of its own for scent. It comes from Aridagawa Town (有田川町) in Wakayama Prefecture, a mountain valley called the birthplace of sansho.
A sansho that ripens like a bunch of grapes
The name budo sansho comes from how it ripens: the small berries grow gathered together like a bunch of grapes. The berries are large, and rich in the compounds that carry scent.
Aridagawa Town in Wakayama Prefecture is held to be where budo sansho came from, and has long been known as the leading producer in Japan. On steep mountain plots, a demanding kind of cultivation has been kept up generation after generation. There is a history here of local people holding onto a crop that does not take well to the flatlands.
A spice you taste through its scent
What makes budo sansho worth having is the clean, citrus-like scent, and a heat that leaves a bright tingle on the tongue. This is not the kind of sting that makes you choke. Scent has the lead role.
That scent depends heavily on freshness. Pick the berries and mill them before the scent goes. Ground sansho finished that way, made in Japan with no additives, comes up quite differently from what is on the shelf. The cleanness of the moment you lift the lid tells you the difference.
Kanja Sansho-en: one shake from the birthplace
The house growing budo sansho here and milling it into powder is Kanja Sansho-en. Its ground sansho, finished so the scent of the fresh picking does not escape, is light and yet unmistakably present.
Light, and high in scent. It is a spice that suits a Japanese table and a table on the far side of an ocean equally. The scent a birthplace has kept going sits inside a single shake.
How to enjoy sansho
- A shake at the finish over grilled unagi or yakitori
- The smallest amount dropped into a bowl of miso soup brings the scent forward
- As an accent in mapo tofu or Japanese-style pasta
- The scent goes off easily, so refrigerate after opening
Swap your usual sansho for one from the place it came from and you notice the difference in how fresh the scent is. Shake it on right before eating and see how clean it is.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of sansho is budo sansho?
A sansho whose large berries ripen gathered into clusters, like a bunch of grapes. Aridagawa Town in Wakayama Prefecture is held to be its birthplace and is known as the leading producer in Japan. What marks it out is a clean, citrus-like scent and a heat that leaves a bright tingle on the tongue.
How does it differ from the ground sansho sold in shops?
The big difference is how fresh the scent is. Ground sansho made in Japan with no additives, from freshly picked budo sansho milled so the scent does not escape, comes up quite differently from a shop-shelf product. More than a few people are startled by how clean it smells the moment they open it.
What dishes can sansho be used in?
A shake over grilled unagi or yakitori and the scent lifts all at once. It also suits miso soup, mapo tofu, and the finish of a Japanese-style pasta. The scent goes off easily, so keep it refrigerated after opening and shake it on right before eating.
