Oh Japan! What can we say, they just do things differently. Usually better. Unlike any other spice from our entire collection, you can actually trace back the origin of the Shichimi Togarashi, right down to the exact year and location where it was first invented. Crazy, right? What’s more, is that the very shop that first, like literally the first, to ever sell this spice blend, still exists and continues to sell their most famous product. And this doesn’t date back a few years or decades, oh no. This actually dates back to 1625 - almost 400 years!
Ok, so how and where did it all begin? In the 17th century, when trade routes began moving goods between countries, it is believed that Japan received their first chillies from the Americas via Europe. And in 1625, the Yagenbori Herb Shop, in erstwhile Edo, now known as Tokyo, first offered this unique blend as a medicinal mix with therapeutic properties. What started as a medicinal product soon found its way in kitchens across Japan and with time, grew in popularity, so much so that it is now found as commonly as salt and pepper, on table tops at most eateries. You might also be surprised to know that the store that introduced the shichimi togarashi to the world, continues to sell it using the same recipe and method.
The literal translation of shichimi togarashi is as follows: shichimi translated to ‘seven’ while togarashi translates to ‘chili peppers’. Collectively, it translates to ‘seven flavour chili pepper’ and sometimes, it is also known as ‘Japanese Seven Spice’. But it mustn’t be confused with the Chinese Five Spice. In fact, outside of having originated in neighbouring countries and both been invented for their medicinal properties, the two spice blends have almost nothing else in common.
The spices of a good shichimi togarashi have largely remained unchanged - chilli peppers, orange or lime peels, white or black sesame seeds with poppy seeds and nori. Outside of this, the blends may vary based on chefs, location and availability of ingredients. Our Shichimi Togarashi spice blend contains the usual suspects but we’ve also added new dimensions of flavour with the introduction of ginger and sichuan peppercorns. Not sure if they’re traditional but they certainly suit our palettes better, all while retaining the perfect balance of citrus, chilli, earthy and umami.
The togarashi is also very versatile, in that it doubles up as a spice blend and as a condiment. We’ve used it in a variety of ways and here are some of our favourites. Check out our <insert recipe> or <insert recipe>. And if you wanna go super traditional, check out our take on the classic <insert recipe>.
We’ve also created a ‘Level up your Spyce’ series where we show you how to transform your favourite spice blend into sauces, dips and marinades for maximum choice.
And before you leave, don’t forget to check out the other blends from our ‘Asia’ collection. And click here to check out our full range.
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