Indian Prickly Ash or called “Mac Khen” or "Sichuan pepper"

- Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum rhetsa) is a tree in the Rutaceae family. It is seen mostly in Indomalaya  (Viet Nam, Lao India and Myanmar). It grows up to a height of 14-18 meters. In Vietnam, Mac Khen grows naturally in the Western North of Vietnam. Seeds of Mac Khen are considered as pepper in Western North area and used as a popular kind of spice. Seeds of Mac Khen contain 0,24% alcaloid and oil, while the fruit covers have d-terpinen, d-a-phellandren, 4-caren, b-pinen, d-a-dihydrocarvol, 4-terpinol và dl-carvotanacetone. Mac Khen seeds are used in daily cuisines of ethnic people, especially Thais and H’mong, thus become a speciality in local culture