Sichuan Pepper Fruit
Overview
Sichuan pepper's fruit is still familiar in Korean cooking as chopi, the tingling spice used in certain regional dishes, but the Donguibogam records it as a medicine with real toxicity and a stark warning attached: any fruit found with its seams still sealed shut must be discarded, as the text states plainly that using it "kills people."
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Warms the middle, dispels cold
- Kills parasites
- Relieves pain
- Dries dampness
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Cold-damp joint or limb pain with numbness
- Toothache
- Cold-type abdominal pain
- Parasitic conditions (traditional use)
Traditional preparation
Only properly sorted and prepared fruit is used. Not for self-medication.
This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.
Cautions
Frequently asked questions
Is chopi (Sichuan pepper) dangerous to use in cooking?
Culinary chopi as commonly sold and used is a food spice, not the medicinal preparation described here. The Donguibogam's warning concerns fruit whose seams remain sealed shut — a specific sign of improperly processed or unripe fruit — which it says must always be discarded.
What exactly does the Donguibogam warn about this herb?
It states explicitly that fruit found with its seams still closed (合口者) is dangerous, warning in the text itself that using it "kills people" — one of the most direct toxicity warnings recorded in the entire Tangaek-pyeon volume.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조