HOT SPICE “Numbing Heat”

A numbing heat and a clean aroma. Two green sanshō peppers that change the shape of a dish.

HOT SPICE “Numbing Heat” turns an everyday dish into something else, through a sharp tingle and a fresh aroma. Two rare green sanshō — Hida highland green sanshō and Sichuan green sanshō — build a complex heat between them, and green peppercorn, red chilli, cumin seed and cassia are blended alongside to carry the savour.

Six spices in the blend

Hida highland green sanshō: a sanshō that grows only in Oku-Hida. Aroma, heat and tingle sit in balance — a clean citrus scent rises first, a sharp heat follows a moment behind it, and a pleasant tingle stays on the tongue.

Sichuan green sanshō: also called tengjiao, a Chinese sanshō. It belongs to the same family, but the aroma is fruity, closer to grapefruit or passion fruit. It gives freshness and depth, with a mild tingle of its own.

Green peppercorn: a clean heat that tightens the flavour of a dish and lets the other spices sit together.

Red chilli: a strong heat you feel as warmth, holding the whole blend in balance. The variety used is hotter than a common chilli.

Cumin seed: a nutty, toasted note that wraps around the heat and opens out the depth of the flavour.

Cinnamon (cassia): a faint sweetness and a spice note that give the whole taste depth, and an aroma that makes you hungry.

What to use it on

HOT SPICE “Numbing Heat” is an all-purpose spice: meat, fish, soups, stir-fries, and pulses or fried rice as well. It suits recipes that lean on heat and aroma. One shake brings the tingle and the depth forward, and puts something different on the table.

How to use it

A shake over meat gives a dish a tingling edge; in a stir-fry it lifts both the toasted note and the heat. It works on plain soups and salads too, where the balance of freshness and heat opens up a taste you have not met before.

HOT SPICE “Numbing Heat” is for anyone who wants to add a new edge, and a new flavour, to their cooking.