A Japanese table seasoning of red chilli, sansho pepper, dried citrus peel, sesame, hemp or poppy seed, ginger and nori, sprinkled over noodles, rice bowls, yakitori and soups.
What it is¶
Shichimi tōgarashi ("seven-flavour chilli pepper"), often just called shichimi, is a coarse mixture of ground red chilli with six other ingredients. It is a table condiment in Japan, found beside the soy sauce in noodle bars and yakitori restaurants, and sprinkled on a dish at the moment of eating rather than cooked into it.
It is distinct from ichimi tōgarashi, which is ground chilli alone. Shichimi's additions, especially sansho (Zanthoxylum piperitum, a close relative of sichuan pepper) and dried citrus peel, make it aromatic and lively rather than simply hot.
Origins¶
Chilli reached Japan in the 16th century, probably through Portuguese traders or via Korea; tōgarashi means roughly "Chinese mustard", "Tang" being a general word for foreign. Shichimi is associated with the Edo period (1603–1868). The Yagenbori shop in Tokyo traces its shichimi to 1625 and claims to have originated the blend; Kyoto's Shichimiya Honpo, near Kiyomizu-dera temple, and Yawataya Isogorō, near Zenkō-ji temple in Nagano, are the other two historic makers usually named. Some early sellers are said to have promoted the mixture as a medicine, which fits the period's overlap between spice and herbal medicine, but such claims were commercial rather than established.
Each of the three houses still makes its own recipe, and they differ noticeably.
What goes in it¶
A typical set of seven:
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Coarsely ground red chilli | Heat; the main ingredient |
| Sansho | Citrusy, numbing tingle |
| Dried citrus peel (chinpi, usually mandarin or yuzu) | Bright, bitter-sweet aroma |
| Black and/or white sesame | Nuttiness |
| Hemp seed (asanomi) or poppy seed | Crunch |
| Ground ginger | Warmth |
| Nori (aonori, green laver) | Oceanic, savoury note |
| Sometimes: shiso, garlic, sansho leaf | Maker's variations |
Flavour¶
Moderately hot, fragrant and faintly numbing, with citrus, toasty sesame and a hint of the sea. The heat arrives with a burst of aroma rather than lingering; shichimi is designed to perk up a bowl rather than dominate it.
How to use it¶
- Noodles: a few shakes over kitsune udon, tempura soba, or ramen.
- Rice bowls: gyūdon (beef bowl), oyakodon, katsudon.
- Yakitori and grilled meats, especially those seasoned with salt rather than sauce.
- Soups and hotpots: miso soup, tonjiru (pork miso soup), nabe.
- Beyond Japan: roast chicken, fried potatoes, avocado toast, popcorn, butter for corn on the cob.
Making it at home¶
About 5 tablespoons · 15 minutes
You need
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground mild-to-medium red chilli or chilli flakes (gochugaru works well)
- 1 tsp ground sansho (or Sichuan pepper, husks only, ground)
- Finely grated zest of 1 mandarin, satsuma or orange
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp white poppy seeds or hulled hemp seeds
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp aonori flakes, or ½ sheet nori crumbled finely
Method
- Spread the citrus zest on a plate and dry it in a very low oven, around 90 °C, for 30–40 minutes, or leave it somewhere warm overnight, until brittle. Crumble.
- Toast the white sesame seeds lightly in a dry pan.
- If using a nori sheet, toast it briefly over a flame until crisp, then crumble.
- Mix everything together. Store in a small airtight jar or shaker.
Variations¶
- Yagenbori (Tokyo): known for a sharper, more chilli-forward blend.
- Shichimiya Honpo (Kyoto): more aromatic and less hot, with more sansho and shiso.
- Yawataya Isogorō (Nagano): noted for ginger and a warming profile suited to a cold region.
- Supermarket shichimi varies between brands, and many shops let you order a custom blend.
There is no single authentic recipe; "seven" describes a style, and the makers have always differed.
Buying and storing¶
Citrus peel and sansho lose their fragrance within months. Buy small containers and keep them away from the stove. Some countries restrict the import of hemp seeds; commercial shichimi uses heat-treated, non-viable seed.