Timur

Timur is the spice produced from the reddish-brown berry husk of Zanthoxylum armatum, a spiny Himalayan shrub in the citrus family (Rutaceae). It is Nepal’s Sichuan pepper, a cousin of the Chinese spice that shares the same tingling, lip-numbing buzz, but brings a much brighter burst of grapefruit and citrus peel. Nepali cooks dry-roast and grind it into timur ko achar, a fiery condiment often scattered over chutneys, curries, and grilled meats.