Also known as fagara, hua chiao, and, in Japan, as sancho, this is not a real pepper. It is not hot, but has a distinctive fragrance and flavour, which is essential to many Chinese dishes. The flavour comes from the husks rather than the small somewhat gritty black seeds (which you can remove if you have the patience). Dry roasting in a skillet makes them easy to grind in a mortar. Use Szechwan Pepper Oil to add flavour to stir-fries, sauces and dips; simmer 1-1/2 Tbsps of roasted Szechwan peppercorns in 1 cup of peanut oil for about 10 minutes, allow to cool and strain.