Great question! Sansho pepper (also called chopi in Korean cuisine) comes from a Japanese/Korean prickly ash tree that's closely related botanically to Sichuan pepper, but the two are distinct spices with different personalities.

• **Sansho** has a brighter, greener, citrus-forward flavor with a lighter numbing tingle. It's often used as a finishing spice or sprinkled over dishes like unagi.
• **Sichuan pepper** brings a more intense, woodsy flavor and a stronger numbing (mala) sensation, and it's central to classic Sichuan cuisine.
• Both create that signature tongue-tingling effect, but Sansho is subtler and citrus-leaning, while Sichuan pepper is bolder and more mouth-numbing.

If you'd like to explore the milder, brighter side of this pepper family, try our Dried Sansho Peppers (chopi (초피) — great as a finishing touch on rice, noodles, or grilled dishes.