DAY 20

SANSHO CHICKEN

by Sachiko Morikawa, Vilene Create Co., Ltd

Sachiko Morikawa of Vilene Create Co., Ltd. shares her favorite chicken stir-fry with a popular Japanese spice - Sansho pepper. It is also known as Japanese prickly ash and has a distinctive citrusy aroma and a numbing sensation on the tongue. It has been used in Japanese cuisine for centuries, enhancing the flavors of meat and fish dishes. The leaves of the Sansho plant, known as "kinome," are also edible and used as a garnish or in cooking. This spice grows wild in the northern parts of Japan and is harvested either fresh or dried and powdered.

Ingredients:

chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
minced garlic
mushrooms
salt & pepper
sesame oil
Japanese Ichimi pepper powder (alternative: chili powder)
Sansho pepper

Instructions:

Stir-fry chicken in a heated pan with sesame oil. After the color of the chicken turns pink, put all the other ingredients in the pan and stir-fry until cooked.

In my case, I added some chicken liver, too. I recommend enjoying the food with beer, wine or of course Japanese Sake. Bon appetit!

Download the recipe