Timur peppers are a member of a family of very special tingly spices, including Sichuan and Sansho peppers. In addition to providing an incredible flavor, they also create a tactile, numbing or buzzing sensation on your tongue. If you haven't experienced it before, this is the moment! The sensation is a classic element of dozens of cuisines across Asia and is absolutely delightful.
Timur peppers are incredibly rare, and we're SO excited to be adding them to our lineup. They're one of our personal favorite peppers — they have a citrusy, zesty complexity that doesn't exist in any other pepper we've tasted.
If you haven't cooked with them before, try grinding them into sautéed spinach or over a piece of grilled fish or tofu — starting with a mild main ingredient will let the pepper's flavor and aroma sparkle.
They also make a great DIY spice blend, mixed with black and white peppercorns, and they are a novel alternative to Sichuan or Sancho pepper.
- Origin: Bardiya, Nepal
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Aliases: Timut pepper
- Process: Sun-dried
- Ingredients: 100% dried timur pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum)
- Tasting notes: Grapefruit • Hemp • Tongue Tingle
Please note that timur peppers are likely to cause a numbing, tingling sensation in your mouth, particularly on your lips and the tip of your tongue. It's not an indication of an allergic reaction, it's just a delightful tactile sensation that accompanies the flavor of several related spices, including Sichuan and timur peppers.
COOKING
- Add to a rub for rich, fatty cuts of meat
- Toss into stir-fries as soon as the oil is hot
- Mix with peppercorns and add to your pepper mill
- Lemongrass and Herb Spiced Sausage
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Pairs well with: Fermented White Pepper, Buffalo Ginger, Wild Mountain Cumin
SOURCING
Timur Peppers are the dried berries of a wild tree. Let's get this out of the way: yes, this is not technically a peppercorn, because it's the fruit of a tree and not a climbing vine. The world of spices is full of taxonomical conundrums.
To source this pepper, we partnered with CHOICE Humanitarian, a non-profit that's been in operation in Nepal for nearly 20 years. They focus on addressing the critical needs of those living in the remote regions of the country, including food and water security, access to improved health resources, and more robust economic development.
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- Cook's Illustrated
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United StatesTonight I used the Wild Timur Pepper in a Sichuan mapo tofu recipe (in the vegetarian version with mushrooms from Cook's Illustrated), and these beautiful little berries shone brightly in the dish, both in it and sprinkled on top. They have an incredible depth of flavor--I sniffed "normal" Sichuan peppercorns side by side with the timur and there's no comparison. And who doesn't love that tongue-tingling effect? (And hey, Spice Club rocks!)
United StatesWhen I first tried this I was hooked. The first blush of flavor is like grapefruit, and after that there are complexities that emerge, peppery and savory but not especially hot. The final layer of taste is a tickle on the tongue that lasts a while and makes your mouth feel alive. I use this on eggs mainly, so far, omelets, and also salads. I got this through the Spice Club and this is why I am in the club! Thanks for this!
