Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC. is a spice plant in the Rutaceae family distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world, found mainly in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. In Vietnam, the Son La province in the northwest accounts for 71% of the total output. Z. rhetsa is mainly used as a famous spice of specialties in the northwest mountains. Slightly different from Vietnam, in Northern Thailand, and in India, Z. rhetsa leaf is the main ingredient as an edible vegetable in daily meals. In addition to being a spice, fruit and seed powder of Z. rhetsa are also applied to preserve meat. Z. rhetsa is also used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of diseases of the teeth, intestinal tract, and as an anti-inflammatory. It has outstanding biological activities such as antibacterial and antioxidant because this plant contains three major chemical compounds: alkaloids, phenolics and terpenoids. This paper reviews recent information on extraction methods of Z. rhetsa essential oil or extracts, its chemical composition and bioactivity of the chemical constituents, as well as potential uses in food technology and medicine