Timur
Timur is the dried fruit husk of Zanthoxylum armatum, a thorny Himalayan shrub, and it belongs to the same genus as Sichuan pepper, Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum simulans. It is not a true pepper and not a chilli. The husk carries hydroxy alpha sanshool, an alkylamide that produces a numbing, tingling sensation on the tongue rather than heat, alongside a sharp citrus aroma. It is used across Nepali, Tibetan, Bhutanese and Chinese cooking, in the numbing and spicy dishes of Sichuan, in pickles, chutneys and spice blends, and is distilled for an essential oil used in flavour and fragrance work.
Listed timur markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Timur and Sichuan pepper are graded on the proportion of husk to seed, on the sanshool alkylamides that create the numbing effect, and on volatile oil.
Husk, seed and physical condition
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Husk contentMinimum percentage by mass | Weighed after separation. The primary grading measure, because the seed is inert and gritty. |
| Loose seedMaximum percentage by mass | Weighed after sieving. The dominant defect in cheap lots. |
| Stalk and stemMaximum percentage by mass | Weighed after hand separation. |
| Species declarationZanthoxylum armatum, bungeanum, simulans or piperitum, declared | The species is a contract term. Aroma, numbing strength and destination approvals differ between them. |
| ColourCIELAB coordinates on a stated instrument, or against a sealed sample | Red husk and green husk are separate commercial types and are contracted separately. |
| Open huskPercentage by mass | Split husks that have released their seed. The presentation the culinary trade pays for. |
| Bulk densityGrams per litre | A weighed volume poured into a standard measure. |
| Fines and dustPassing a stated sieve aperture | Weighed after sieving. |
| Mouldy and insect damaged materialMaximum percentage by mass | Weighed after hand separation. |
| Extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Determined per ISO 927. |
| GroundMilled to a stated mesh | Mesh aperture named on the contract, with the sieve analysis reported. |
Analytical requirements
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hydroxy alpha sanshool and total sanshoolsPercentage by mass, by high performance liquid chromatography | The compounds responsible for the numbing sensation. The measure a serious buyer contracts on, in place of any tasting score. |
| Volatile oilMinimum millilitres per 100 grams | Determined by ISO 6571. The aroma measure and the distillation yield. |
| Limonene, linalool and geraniolPercentage of the volatile oil | Determined by gas chromatography. The citrus aroma fraction that distinguishes timur from Sichuan types. |
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 939. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 928. |
| Acid insoluble ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 930. The grit measure on a hand harvested hill crop. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, and absence of Salmonella in a stated mass | Contracted to destination market limits. |
ASTA cleanliness specifications
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Whole insects, deadCount per stated sample mass | Counted after sieving and inspection. |
| Excreta, mammalianMilligrams per stated sample mass | Determined by flotation and microscopy. |
| Excreta, otherMilligrams per stated sample mass | Determined by flotation and microscopy. |
| MouldPercentage by mass | Visibly mouldy pieces, weighed after separation. |
| Insect defiled or infestedPercentage by mass | Pieces showing insect damage, weighed after separation. |
| Extraneous foreign matterPercentage by mass | Stones, dirt, wire, string and any plant material other than the named spice. |
| TreatmentDeclared | Steam sterilised, ethylene oxide treated, irradiated or untreated. Declared on the contract, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | South Asia | Origin |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Bhutan | South Asia | Origin |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Myanmar | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Taiwan | East Asia | Destination |
| Hong Kong | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| Bangladesh | South Asia | Destination |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Destination |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Destination |
| Turkiye | Middle East | Destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Mexico | North America | Destination |
| Brazil | South America | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| Switzerland | Europe | Destination |
| Denmark | Europe | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
| New Zealand | Oceania | Destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Nov to FebMid hill districts harvest from August to October and dry in the sun. The reference origin for timur. | |||||
| India | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Nov to JanUttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the northeast harvest late in the monsoon. | ||||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Oct to DecSichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Chongqing harvest through the summer. Red and green husk types are picked separately. | ||||||
| Bhutan | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Nov to JanHarvests in step with the Nepali hills. | ||||||
| Japan | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Sep to NovSansho, Zanthoxylum piperitum, harvested green in early summer and also traded as fresh leaf. | ||||||
| Myanmar | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Nov to JanShan State harvests late in the monsoon. | ||||||
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Oct to DecNorthern highland provinces harvest through the summer. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for timur. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading0910.99 Other spices, including Zanthoxylum (timur) pepper
- PackingJute or PP woven bags of 25 kg to 50 kg for whole spice, multiwall paper sacks for ground, and foil-lined or vacuum cartons for volatile and high value grades. Food grade liner, fumigation or steam sterilisation certificate where the destination requires it.
- Container loading20ft: 12 t to 18 t depending on bulk density. 40ft is normally volume limited before it reaches its weight limit. Ground and low density spice ships light and prices on cubic, not tonnage.
- Contract and arbitrationASTA cleanliness specifications for United States trade on Association of Food Industries contracts with AFI arbitration in New York. European trade on European Spice Association quality minima and the terms of the importing association, arbitration under ICC rules or the seat named in the contract.
- Destination limitsEU: aflatoxin B1 and total limits under Regulation 2023/915, ochratoxin A limits, pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, and Salmonella absence in 25 g. Ethylene oxide is not authorised in the EU and remains the most common rejection cause on spice. US: FDA FSMA preventive controls and ASTA cleanliness, with standing import alerts for Salmonella on several origins.
Common questions
What grades of timur does SIP Global trade?
We quote 26 published grades of timur, including Husk content - Minimum percentage by mass, Loose seed - Maximum percentage by mass, Stalk and stem - Maximum percentage by mass, Species declaration - Zanthoxylum armatum, bungeanum, simulans or piperitum, declared, Colour - CIELAB coordinates on a stated instrument, or against a sealed sample and Open husk - Percentage by mass. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is timur graded?
Timur and Sichuan pepper are graded on the proportion of husk to seed, on the sanshool alkylamides that create the numbing effect, and on volatile oil. Grading runs on 3 systems: Husk, seed and physical condition, Analytical requirements and ASTA cleanliness specifications.
Where does SIP Global trade timur?
We trade timur in Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar and Vietnam and 27 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is timur harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Nepal: harvest aug to oct, arrival nov to feb; India: harvest aug to oct, arrival nov to jan; China: harvest jul to sep, arrival oct to dec; Bhutan: harvest aug to oct, arrival nov to jan; Japan: harvest jun to aug, arrival sep to nov. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for timur?
Timur is normally classified under HS 0910.99 (other spices, including zanthoxylum (timur) pepper). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for timur?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 2 listed timur markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- ASTAAmerican Spice Trade Association cleanliness specifications
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.