Igi-ata

In Africa grow several species of Zanthoxylum, a genus of plants to which the Asian Szechuan pepper also belongs. One of those species is the Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, which grows in West Africa and is called igi-ata in Yoruba, which means tree pepper. Less fragrant than the Asian species perhaps, even a bit bitter, but truly African.

Other names are baies gangshu, baies de Malam and Bakumba pepper (after the regional name Bakumba) or  Bamenda-Banso pepper, according to  a more northern region in the high mountains.

Exclusive!

Pepper is grown on a very limited scale in Africa anyway, and that certainly applies to Szechuan pepper. In Nigeria, uzazi (Zanthoxylum gilletii) is grown on a small scale, but that is as far as citrus pepper cultivation is concerned. All other citrus peppers are picked from trees and bushes in the wild, such as this one, which grows in Bakumba, an area in the southwest of Cameroon where people speak Yoruba, hence the name igi-ata, here also called ganshu pepper after the French 'baies (de) Ganshu'.

It is a pepper that you hardly see on the European market, for a number of reasons. Because it is a difficult fruit to pick, and therefore relatively expensive, and because export is quite difficult. Moreover, the taste and smell of the igi-ata are not unambiguous. These can vary quite a bit, from harvest to harvest, from area to area, perhaps even from tree to tree, experts do not yet agree on that. Sometimes the citrus aromas dominate the camphor, and not everyone is charmed by the bitter tones.

This is caused by the seeds, which, like those of the andaliman, are more bitter than the pericarp.

The igi-ata is a shrub/tree that grows to about six meters high, and is very branched. For West Africans, the tree has traditionally been more important as a medicine than as food, and for that reason the population of the species is under pressure in some countries, such as Benin.

Like other Zanthoxylum plants, the trunk and branches of the igi-ata are provided with thorns. Thick woody thorns on the trunk that get a cork outer layer during growth, venomous sharp thorns on the branches. Just like the leaves of the uzazi, even the leaves of the igi-ata are provided with thorns. They are located in the heart of the leaf.

The unique sharpness experience of sanshol

Characteristic of all Zanthoxylum peppers, and therefore also of this Szechuan pepper, is the tingling sensation you experience on the tip of your tongue due to a substance in the pepper called sanshool, named after the Japanese sanshō. The pungency is caused by the amides in the peel of the fruit: α-, β-, γ- and δ-sanshool, α hidroxy sanshool and β-hidroxy sanshool. The numbing effect is mainly caused by γ sanshool and α hidroxy sanshool. The amount of α-hidroxy-sanshool in the berries can amount to (well over) 50 ‰ of the dry weight, of γ sanshool around 5‰.

The tingling is accompanied by a slight numbness, jokingly compared to tasting a 9 volt battery. A single berry is enough to experience that! This somatosensation, stimulation by touch, has been used for centuries as an anaesthetic in traditional medicine in Asia. The effect is very complex and the subject of extensive studies. Hydroxy-α-sanshol in particular is said to cause the tingling, and there are certain parallels with the sharpness experience of capsaicin, the sharp substance in chili pepper, but also with menthol and mustard oil.

Smell and taste

In Igi-ata, the citrus scent that characterizes Szechuan peppers is barely present, and the seeds even taste pleasant, and less bitter than the seed houses can be. The pungency is usually very moderate (or disappointing), depending on how you look at it, and is more subtle than prominent.  This is just a selection from the wide range of tastes:

• sabinene, responsible for the woody, camphor-like taste of black pepper, among other things
  
• β-myrcene, spicy aroma, with notes of fruits (mango, grape, peach) and mint,
  
• germacreen D, spicy and woody,
• D-limonene (dipentene), sweet orange flavor, found in modest amounts in nutmeg, mace, and cardamom
• β-caryophyllene, sweet spicy and woody
• decanal, associated with the bitterness of grapefruit and orange peel, also found in buckwheat and coriander

Use igi-ata with products that pair well with citrus such as shellfish and scallops, white fish and chicken, plantain (traditional use) and other fruits.

Usage

Crush the fruit, which will release the seeds. These are easier to grind than the seed pods, which can best be ground. Just like the whole berries (with seeds). Process igi-ata as follows. Rub the berries between your hands, so that the seed pods, seeds and stalks come apart. Remove the seeds, if you do not want the bitterness, and grind the pepper. You can also put the stalks and seeds whole in a bag, and let it cook or stew. After preparing, simply remove the bag from the dish.

Igi-ata is less widely applicable than the Chinese Szechuan pepper, due to its robust flavour palette. It lends itself best to typical African dishes, such as soup and stews, provided that ata-rodo (chili pepper) has not already been added in large quantities. This would push this subtle pepper into the background. Igi-ata also combines excellently with (bitter) leafy vegetables.

Features:

• 100% berries of the Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides
• Origin: Ganshu, Bakumba region, Cameroon

Assortment

• available in glass, stand-up pouch and test tube
• glass jar contains 30 grams
• stand-up pouches with a capacity of up to 30 to 60 grams
• available in 10 ml test tube
• larger quantities on request

Gift wrapping

• The jar is available in a tasteful gift packaging, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper
• For an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the gift packaging section

General advice

• Igi-ata is a Szechuan pepper with a typical African signature, mainly used in African dishes or more generally in fairly robust dishes, the spiciness is moderate
• store the pepper in a dark, dry and cool place
  

Save:

• store your kampot pepper in a closed container
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• at least good until November 2026 (11/26)
• This expiration date is an indication

Would you like to know what Igi-ata tastes like?