What does Sichuan pepper look like and how to choose it

1. What does it look like?

It is a small deciduous tree that can reach a height of 7 meters. It has thorns on its stem and short thorns and short, soft hairs on its branches. The leaves are opposite, oval or elliptical in shape, with fine cracks on the edges. The fruit is round and not too big. It is green when unripe and turns red or purple when ripe. It has 4-5mm petals and slightly raised small dots. After being left for a long time, the seeds will come out and the outer shell will crack into two halves.

2. How to choose

1. Smell: If you smell the real peppercorns carefully, you will find that they have a strong spicy aroma, while the fake peppercorns have a less obvious aroma.

2. Weigh the weight: Real peppercorns feel very light when piled up. If there are only a few of them but they feel heavy when you weigh them, they may be fake peppercorns.

3. Pinch it: You can also pinch it with your hands. Real peppercorns are quite prickly and may be crushed with a light pinch, while fake peppercorns are not easy to crush.

4. Soak in water: You can also distinguish it by soaking it in water. The water from real ones is light brown. If it is fake, it is usually dyed, and the color of the water is darker, which looks red.