In the U.S., the spice mix is marketed as nanami which is easier for English-speakers to pronounce and remember. Both names, shichimi and nanami, translate to seven flavors. Togarashi is the Japanese name for chili in the Capsicum annuum species.
By whichever name you call it, this spice mix contains seven different ingredients that include chili, sansho (related to but not the same as Sichuan peppercorns), citrus peel (orange or yuzu), seeds and, occasionally, aonori.
It’s a table condiment rather than a cooking ingredient. In Japan, you’ll find a shaker of shichimi on the dining table of many restaurants. Just reach for it, tap over your food and everything just tastes more delicious. On the blog, you can see it sprinkled on the mayo in the crab furai and chicken karaage recipes. It’s also a traditional garnish for beef udon soup.
So… shichimi togarashi is hot? Yes. But not as hot as other Asian chili flakes. The sweetish Korean chili flakes are hotter. Chinese chili flakes, even more so.
But Japanese food is not known for spiciness… How did a spice mix with chilies as the main ingredient end up as an important table condiment?
Capsicum annuum is not native to Japan. Whether it got there via Portuguese missionaries or soldiers returning from a military expedition in Korean, no one really knows. But by 1610, it was being grown in Japan as medicine.
In 1625, an enterprising merchant blended it with other ingredients and sold the mix as a healthy food enhancer. It’s been 400 years and shichimi toragashi is still around and very much mainstream in Japanese cuisine. And the company that its inventor founded is still in business.
Right. When the product is good, it doesn’t just disappear from the market. What’s so special about shichimi togarashi is the nuanced flavor because there’s much more in the mix than dried and ground chilies. There’s nuttiness from the seeds (hemp, poppy and sesame) and fruitiness from the citrus peel. And these additions do not only enhance the flavor — they make the spice mix more aromatic too.
If you want to experiment with shichimi at home, try sprinkling it on your rice, egg, fish, meat, chicken or even tofu. No, the heat won’t scorch your mouth. And that is what makes it so distinct from Korean and Chinese chili flakes. Shichimi gives a kick but dissipates fast in the mouth. The heat does not linger long enough to overwhelm. It just stimulates the appetite some more.
