The term Uzazi refers to the dried fruit of the West African deciduous shrub Zanthoxylum gilletii, syn. Fagara tessmannii, a member of the 'prickly ash' Zanthoxylum genus. The name of the spice is derived from Igbo, a language in Nigeria, where the spice is grown and harvested on a commercial basis. Zanthoxylum gilletii is a close relative of the Sichuan pepper, and uzazi has a similar taste profile to the Asian spice. However, unlike Sichuan pepper where only the pericarp of the fruit is used, uzazi is used whole . This may explain why uzazi has a spicier flavour and greater pungency than sichuan pepper.
Even in West Africa this is a rare spice, and typically only five or six dried fruit are added to a dish.