[1] When eaten, Sichuan pepper produces a tingling, numbing effect due to the presence of hydroxy-alpha sanshool.

It is used in Sichuan dishes such as mapo doufu and Chongqing hot pot, and is often added to chili peppers to create a flavor known as málà (Chinese: 麻辣; 'numb-spiciness').

Sichuan peppers have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes in China for centuries with numerous Zanthoxylum species called huājiāo (lit.

Similarly, other Zanthoxylum species are harvested for spice and seasoning production in a number of cultures and culinary traditions.

Sichuan pepper is an important spice in Chinese, Nepali, Kashmiri, north east Indian, Tibetan, and Bhutanese cookery of the Himalayas.

[citation needed] Sichuan pepper has a citrus-like flavor and induces a tingling numbness in the mouth, akin to a 50-hertz vibration,[12] due to the presence of hydroxy-alpha sanshool.

[18][better source needed] One Himalayan specialty is the momo, a dumpling stuffed with vegetables, cottage cheese, or minced yak or beef, and flavored with Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger, and onion.

It is listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and is prescribed for ailments as various as abdominal pains, toothache, and eczema.

Research has revealed that Z. bungeanum can have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects in model animals and cell cultures.

[28] In 2005, the USDA and FDA allowed imports,[29] provided the peppercorns were heated for ten minutes to approximately 140 °F (60 °C) to kill any canker bacteria.