Makween (มะแข่วน) in English

[Johpa]

Not sure to ask here or in the food section, but I have eaten makween (มะแข่วน) in the village and encountered it in a restaurant for the first time on a menu while dining with my son, and we were not able to find any English translation for this rather unique Thai seasoning found around the month of November in home gardens up north. Any idea what this is called in English, or even the Latin scientific name? It is an acquired tasted, as much a physical sensation on the tongue as a specific flavor. Thanks in advance.

[KhunBENQ]

Latin (botanical) name is easy:

Zanthoxylum limonella

Derived from the Thai WiKi:

http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B0%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99

Leads to this (family of Zanthoxylum): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanthoxylum

And guess what: no article for Zanthoxylum limonella, no English name

It is mentioned here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Thai_ingredients (Thai name with slight typo)

A type of Prickly ash, and related to the Sichuan pepper, these seeds are used most often in Northern Thai cuisine for their spicy, hot taste.^[2]

Edited December 26, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[AyG]

It's also known by the botanical name Zanthoxylum rhetsa Pierre var. budranga Pier.. In English it's referred to as Sichuan Pepper, and in American, Szechuan Pepper. Sichuan Pepper covers the name of the fruit of a wide range of Zanthoxylum species, of which Zanthoxylum limonella is just one.

[Johpa]

I can only add that what is sold as Sichuan pepper in the US is not the same thing as makween although I can appreciate the genetic relationship. Interesting that it in the larger citrus family as the physical reaction of the tongue as well as some aspects of the taste are reminiscent of biting into a citrus fruit rind.

[cmsally]

Isn't "makwaen" the name for the pea eggplant ? Or is theere something with a similar name?

[cmsally]

Ah having looked at the one above, I now know what the seeds that I found were. Have a whole bag of them; someone must have given them to me.

[Sattphalat]

Isn't "makwaen" the name for the pea eggplant ? Or is theere something with a similar name?

Eggplant i think is มะเขือแปาะ makuapok

[Richard W]

Isn't "makwaen" the name for the pea eggplant ? Or is theere something with a similar name?

Eggplant i think is มะเขือแปาะ makuapok

The 'pea eggplant' is มะเขือพวง [M]ma[R]khuea [M]phuang Solanum torvum and is a member of the Solanaceae, as implied by the word มะเขือ in the name.

มะเขือเปราะ [M]ma[R]khuea [LS]praw is the aubergine, the canonical 'eggplant', Solanum melongena. Thai varieties of various colours are sometimes known as examples of the 'Thai eggplant', which is also an English name of Solanum xanthocarpum.

The member of the genus best known to Europeans (well, Britons, at least) for its fruit is Solanum lycopersicum, the tomato (Thai มะเขือเทศ [M]ma[R]khuea [F]theet). The member of the genus best known to Britons is Solanum tuberosum, the potato, though of course scientific names are ever-changing and not everyone includes it in the same genus.

The makwaen is not a member of the Solanaceae.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Richard W