Zanthoxylum acanthopodium

Zanthoxylum acanthopodium
Habitus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Zanthoxylum
Species:
Z. acanthopodium
Binomial name
Zanthoxylum acanthopodium
Seeds

Zanthoxylum acanthopodium, or andaliman, is a flowering plant in the family Rutaceae. Its range includes southwestern China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, north and northeastern India, Nepal, Laos, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (northern Sumatra highlands), and Peninsular Malaysia.

Distribution

The plant is native to the Toba Samosir District, Dairi Regency, and North Tapanuli Regency in North Sumatra, Indonesia. It is found in Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, and Yunnan in China. It is spread across Northeast India, i.e., Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim. It is also found in Peninsular Malaysia, northern Thailand, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan, and in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in India.

In cuisine

Much like the closely related Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum), the seed pericarps are used as spices in cooking and have a similar tongue-numbing characteristic. However, the andaliman flavour in cooking has lemon-like notes (similar to those of lemon grass) and hints of the aromatic pandan leaf. The Bataks of North Sumatra use it in a number of dishes, such as arsik, a fish stew, and saksang, a dish of spiced pork or dog meat. The Khasi, Pnar and Angami of India also employ it in their cuisine; additionally it is put into dishes in northern Thailand, south-west China and Vietnam.

Phylogenetics of related species

all other Zanthoxylum species

Cladogram of 13 most closely related species according to the Open Tree of Life.

In local culture

The name andaliman comes from the Toba Batak language of North Sumatra. In Nagaland, it is called ganyǎ in the Angami language. In Meghalaya, it is called as jaiur in the Khasi language and iaiur in Pnar.

In medicine

Z. acanthopodium is used in medicine in Indonesia. It contains chemical compounds such as alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. It also "is reported to possess antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and wound healing properties..."

References

  1. ↑ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2018). "Zanthoxylum acanthopodium". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T136144639A136144641. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T136144639A136144641.en. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Zanthoxylum acanthopodium". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
  3. 1 2 3 Adrian, null; Syahputra, Rony Abdi; Juwita, Nur Aira; Astyka, Ririn; Lubis, Muhammad Fauzan (May 2023). "Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC.) a herbal medicine from North Sumatera, Indonesia: Phytochemical and pharmacological review". Heliyon. 9 (5) e16159. Bibcode:2023Heliy...916159A. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16159. ISSN 2405-8440. PMC 10209417. PMID 37251868.
  4. 1 2 "Andaliman, a spice from Indonesia: what it is and how it is used". EveryMasala. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
  5. 1 2 Aila, Hanum (2026-05-21). "Andaliman: The Mala of North Sumatra". TNB. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
  6. ↑ "[Zanthoxylum piperitum + Zanthoxylum petiolare]". Open Tree of Life. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  7. ↑ Liezietsu, Vizonyü (2020). Daru Nhako (Medicinal plants) (in njm) (1st ed.). Kohima: Ura Academy. p. 61. ISBN 9788190453950.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)