Sichuan pepper (Chinese: 花椒; pinyin: huājiāo), also known as Szechuan pepper, Szechwan pepper, Chinese prickly ash, Chinese pepper, Timut pepper and mala pepper,[1] is a spice commonly used in Sichuan cuisine. Despite its name, Sichuan pepper is not closely related to black pepper or chili peppers. It is made from plants of the genus Zanthoxylum in the family Rutaceae, which includes citrus and rue.[2]