Sichuan Peppercorns Zanthoxylum simulans   The dried berries of a small bush related to the citrus family and to Zanthoxylum piperitum, Japanese Pepper or Sansho. Known throughout the rest of the world as Sichuan pepper as they are characteristic of the food produced in that province of China, renowned for its hot and spicy cuisine, but called ‘flower peppers’ within China as they are said to resemble opening flower buds. They are actually not a true pepper, but when dried, the fruits are similar in appearance to small, red-brown peppercorns.