Shichimi tougarashi, also known as Japanese seven spice chili pepper is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. It is often consumed with noodles or on rice and gyudon. It is sometimes also sprinkled on yakitori and gyoza, and even added to soups, such as miso soup. The most common ingredients are ground red chili peppers (which may be flaked chili peppers), sesame seeds, dried orange peel, ground sansho (similar to Sichuan pepper), hemp seed, ground ginger and nori (seaweed). Some variations use cayenne pepper instead of red chili peppers.
The first recorded usage of shichimi was in the 17th century by the monk Sekishu. Other spices like black sesame seeds, shiso leaves and white poppy seeds have been used in place of some of the spices above. There are many other combinations of spices for shichimi sold today. In fact there are over 20 different types of shichimi sold in Japan today.
Shichimi tougarashi is usually sold in small plastic or paper packets or glass jars at most supermarkets in Japan.[citation needed] There are several varieties available including homemade versions, without preservatives; premium versions; ground versus
Shichimi, literally “seven-flavor,” is a pepper blend from Japan, but it took a sojourn to Louisiana to become the embodiment of Cajun cooking.
The story begins in the early 18th century, when a Japanese spice merchant began selling a red chile blend he called shichimi. It was made from seven ingredients: sansho, or Japanese prickly ash; sesame seeds; dried orange peel; hemp seed; ground ginger; nori, or dried seaweed; and roasted ground chiles.
In modern times, the ingredients have changed somewhat. Some versions replace hemp seed with poppy seed, others add pink peppercorns or mustard seeds. Some may even include Sanshō pepper, which is not related to prickly ash and contains no heat.
A Japanese spice market with various types of shichimi. (Credit: Flickr user Christian Kadluba)
In the early 19th century, shichimi made its way to New Orleans through Chinese laborers who had been brought over to work on railroads after emancipation. There it found a home on tables in the French Quarter and beyond as the perfect seasoning for crawfish étouffée and gumbo. The original version disappears quickly when sprinkled on food
In the Cajun style of cooking, shichimi is a common seasoning. Shichimi is also known as seven-flavour or seven-spice pepper. It is a Japanese spice blend that usually contains the following ingredients:
1. Red chili pepper flakes
2. Sansho pepper
3. Yellow and black sesame seeds
4. Orange peel (dried)
5. Poppy seed
6. Hemp seed
7. Ginger root (dried)
Shichimi (七味) is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Sometimes it is called nanairo shichimi (“seven-color shichimi”). Shichimi should be distinguished from ichi-no-mi (一の味), also called “hachimi” (八味), which is an alternate name of another seven-spice mixture, sansho powder.
Shichimi contains ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient and the source of most of its heat), Sichuan pepper, roasted orange peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger, and nori. Many other spices may be included in the mixture, either in small or liberal quantities. Common extras include yuzu peel (or tangerine peel), shiso (perilla), poppy seed, rapeseed and other types of sesame seeds, dried kombu seaweed, sansho powder (ground leaves of the prickly ash tree), ground garlic and/or green onion.[citation needed]
It is often consumed with soup and noodle dishes such as ramen, soba and udon. It is also eaten with gyūdon beef bowls and takoyaki oct
Shichimi (七味) is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Shichimi should be distinguished from ichi-no-tōgarashi (一の唐辛子), which is simply ground red chili pepper and without any other ingredients.
Shichimi likely originated several centuries ago when there was a need to add extra flavor to the weakly flavored wakame that was the main food of daimyo during wartime. It originally contained orange peel, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, ground ginger, ground sansho, shiso leaves, and the red perilla. Nowadays, although there are myriad variations on the theme, common ingredients include chili pepper (the main ingredient), nori (seaweed), sesame seeds, poppy seeds, hemp seeds, ground ginger, orange zest or peel and sometimes black sesame. This last ingredient may be the reason why shichimi is sometimes confused with ichi-no-tōgarashi.
Shichimi Togarashi or literally “seven taste chile pepper” is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. It is often sprinkled on top of soups and on noodles. The mixture usually contains chili pepper, Szechuan pepper, mandarin orange peel, ground ginger, ground sansho (similar to Szechuan pepper), roasted orange peel, and nori (seaweed). Other ingredients are also used depending on the region.
Japanese 7-Spice (shichimi) is a popular seasoning for soups, noodle dishes and onigiri. It has a pungent aroma and hot flavor. The unique blend includes red chilies, orange peel, sesame seeds, nori seaweed, black peppercorns and hemp seed. Each ingredient contributes a distinct flavor to the blend.
