also: ホワジャオ · ホアジャオ
Sichuan pepper; Chinese prickly-ash
Refers to both the spice (dried husks of Zanthoxylum bungeanum) and the plant itself. Used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine for its numbing, citrusy flavor.
Adding Sichuan pepper gives the dish a tingling, numbing sensation.
この店の麻婆豆腐は花椒が効いている。
The mapo tofu at this restaurant has a strong Sichuan pepper kick.
Katakana spelling reflecting the Chinese pronunciation; common in culinary contexts.
Variant katakana spelling; less common than ホワジャオ.
From Chinese 花椒 (huājiāo). The Japanese reading かしょう is the on'yomi of the kanji, while ホワジャオ/ホアジャオ are direct borrowings of the Chinese pronunciation.