Spicy, citrusy, with a little bit of oceany taste to it, Shichimi Togarashi season mix has taken over the world with its spicy charm. You may have seen them in a Japanese restaurant. They are typically put beside soy sauce on the table. They’ll add that nice kick to your food without it having to be too spicy.
Get familiar with this seasoning and take a little journey through the taste.
Get To Know Shichimi Togarashi
Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese spice blend that consists of chili flakes and multiple ground up spices like citrus, sesame seeds, seaweed and many other delicious ingredients. Outside Japan, Shichimi Togarashi is often just called ‘Togarashi’. You may find this product in a small red bottled form if you have visited any sushi or ramen shop.
Shichi 七 means seven, mi 味 means flavor, and togarashi 唐辛子 means chilli. Shichimi Togarashi literally means seven flavor chilli. The word seven is used because there are seven kinds of spices that are mixed into the spice blend. Though the name clearly states seven, some brands even put up to nine spices into their Shichimi Togarashi.
What makes up the spice blend varies, depending on brands and region. A brand in Kyoto uses chili flakes, seaweed, pepper, black and white sesame seeds, perilla leaf, and hemp seed in their togarashi spice blend. Meanwhile, a brand in Asakusa, Tokyo, uses more than seven ingredients to make their shichimi togarashi including citrus peel and poppy seeds. So, the possibilities are endless.
7 Spices in Shichimi Togarashi
While variations exist, basically Shichimi Togarashi will consists of:
Red Chili (Togarashi) plays the significant role of Shichimi Togarashi, it gives you the taste of sharp, strong spicy flavor.
You might think that adding a little bit of Citrus Peel might be slightly bitter but it gives you refreshing taste of zest, it usually goes well with other spices. Together with other spices such as the Japanese Pepper, Sansho, which tasted like a lemon-like pepper. Other spices used are Hemp Seeds and Poppy Seeds. Furthermore, you might have the spicy but sweet taste, sometimes slightly bitter but also the salty taste from the seaweed (nori) and roasted sesame.
I will say the taste of all these spices gives rich flavor of taste. Every small bite might surprise you!
What Can I eat with Shichimi Togarashi?
Shichimi Togarashi, is a famous Chili Pepper condiment that are frequently used in the Japanese cuisine. There’s several ways to have it in your meal. The best way to enjoy this condiment will be sprinkle this on top of the Noodles (Eg: Udon, Ramen or Soba), dishes that contains soups or sauce such as Boiled Tofu and Gyudon, or meats such as Yakitori (Japanese Grilled Chicken) or seafood. It goes well with soups, sides and entrees.
Besides that, It can be added into a sauce, broth, or even plain rice, Shichimi Togarashi can be sprinkled on almost anything. Usually Shichimi Togarashi is paired up with Japanese food. But of course, Shichimi Togarashi is also compatible with many western cooking like: Fried chicken, french fries, barbecue, soup, salad, popcorn, and many others. It really depends on how you want to enjoy your food with it.
Make Your Own Homemade Shichimi Togarashi
Chances are, it’s less easy to find Shichimi Togarashi outside Japan. Although they are getting more and more common now, the varieties are still limited. So, why don’t we make it ourselves?
Making homemade Shichimi Togarashi is easier than you think, All it takes is your preferred spices and a reliable food processor (you can also use blender for this). Finding the exact spices can be a little bit troublesome, but you can get adventurous and give this recipe a modification. In fact, you can adjust the heat level and use more than just seven ingredients.
Homemade Shichimi Togarashi
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ground red chilli pepper
- 1 tsp Lightly toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp Dried citrus peel
- 1 tbsp Sansho (Japanese pepper)
- 2 tsp Flaked nori
- 2 tsp Poppy seeds
- 2 tsp Cracked dried ginger
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in the food processor.
- Pulse the processor until all ingredients are well mixed and grounded.
- Your shichimi togarashi is ready to use! Keep it in airtight container and use it within 1 month.
Difference Between Shichimi Togarashi and Ichimi Togarashi
Mainly, there are two kinds of Togarashi: Ichimi (left picture) and Shichimi (right picture). Ichimi Togarashi is just plain chili flakes. Like the name Ichimi (一味 one flavor), it contains one ingredient which is ground up dried chili flakes. Taste wise, Ichimi Togarashi have more heat packed into it. Unlike Shichimi Togarashi that has more fragrance, they taste more straightforward and simple. For people who don’t prefer fragrant spices, Ichimi Togarashi might be a great choice.
Sauce Variation with Shichimi Togarashi
Shichimi Togarashi is great on its own, but have you ever thought about mixing it with another ingredient? Here are some of the best combos for Shichimi Togarashi:
| Ingredients | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Shichimi Togarashi + Mayo | Make spicy mayo by adding Shichimi Togarashi to your mayonnaise. The heat and slight citrus flavor will balance out the creaminess of mayo. Use this combo to eat sushi roll, or just use them as a dipping sauce to any of your favorite fried snacks. |
| Shichimi Togarashi + Soy Sauce | You can never go wrong with the classic. As soy sauce is also a popular condiment in Japan, it’s no wonder that these two go together very nicely. This mix is very suitable for nigiri sushi or sashimi. It will spice up your sushi, literally. |
| Shichimi Togarashi + olive oil, vinegar, and salt | Mix Shichimi Togarashi, olive oil, vinegar, and salt, and you got yourself a killer salad dressing right there. If you need more citrus punch, add lemon juice. For this dressing, you can also use Yuzu Shichimi Togarashi to replace the regular shichimi. |
Popular Shichimi Togarashi Types
Brands have been getting really creative lately and adding their special ingredient into their Shichimi Togarashi. If you’re into exploring the taste of delightful spices, you should try many types of the spice blend. Here are some of the popular variations of Shichimi Togarashi.
| Types | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Yuzu Shichimi Togarashi | Yuzu is a type of citrus fruit that is common in East Asia. Yuzu is very tart and aromatic. In Japan, Yuzu is so popular that you can find anything Yuzu related like Yuzu Ponzu, Yuzu Tea, or even Yuzu alcoholic drink. That’s why it’s not surprise that Yuzu Shichimi is a thing. Yuzu Shichimi have a more zesty taste. Due to the citric aroma, Yuzu Shichimi can be a great seasoning for salad. |
| Sansho Shichimi Togarashi | Sansho is Japanese pepper. In a regular Shichimi, Sansho is already a main ingredient. Sansho Shichimi uses more amount of Japanese pepper to get a more intense taste. Some brands also add perilla leaf to amp up the aroma of Sansho Shichimi. This type of Shichimi is a good sprinkle to fried or grilled foods. |
The History of Shichimi Togarashi
Shichimi Togarashi started gaining popularity in 1625. The Japanese spice blend was founded for the first time in Yagenbori area, which in modern day is Higashi Nihonbashi, Tokyo. It is said that the first seller of shichimi togarashi was a man called Tokuemon, the first generation of Yagenbori Shichimi Togarashi business. He was inspired by Chinese medicine and wanted to make food out of spices.
Shichimi Togarashi became popular really quick as the spice blend goes really well with soba noodles, one of the food that was often eaten in the area. After that, the popularity of Shichimi Togarashi spread through many places across the nation. It was said that Shichimi Togarashi was famous because it was a good prevention for flu for the civilian people due to it’s similarity to the Traditional Chinese Medicine formula that can cure the flu.
