Uzazi



"Uzazi" is the Nigerian name for the 'prickly ash' tree of genus Zanthoxylum tessmannii / Fagara tessmannii / Zanthoxylum gilletii, a member of the Rutaceae family, native to Central and West Africa, and a close relative of the Sichuan pepper. It usually refers specifically to the spice made from its fruit and pericarp, though sometimes other parts of it such as its leaves are used.

Each bunch contains 20 to 30 berries. Each berry is round, has a size of 3.5 to 6 mm (1/8 inch to 1/4 inch), has a stalk, and contains a large black seed. The berry turns red when ripe. The berries contain the alkaloid known in Dutch as sanshol.

It is described as spicy and pungent, more so than Sichuan pepper, and bitter. It is usually used by grinding it into a powder and adding it into soups, stews, seasonings, and sauces. Even in West Africa this is a rare spice, and typically only five or six dried fruit are added to a dish.

In herbal medicine, it is used to treat tumors and wounds.

The name of the spice is derived from Igbo, a language in Nigeria, where the spice is grown and harvested on a commercial basis.