Szechwan Pepper

A Chinese spice that is made by grinding the brown berries of the prickly ash tree into finer particles. Round and hard, the dark berry is similar to a black peppercorn except for the flavor, which is not as sharp, and the tiny seed of the berry. This spice is available whole or ground in Asian markets or specialty stores. As a spice it may also be referred to as "Sichuan pepper."