, also known as or simply ''shichimi'', is a common

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

spice mixture Spice mixes are blended spices or herbs. When a certain combination of herbs or spices is called for in a recipe, it is convenient to blend these ingredients beforehand. Blends such as chili powder, curry powder, herbes de Provence, garlic salt ...

containing seven ingredients. Tōgarashi is the Japanese name for ''

Capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...

'' peppers, and it is this ingredient that makes shichimi spicy.

Etymology

"Shichi" means seven, "mi" means flavor, and "togarashi" is the red chili pepper ''

''. The blend is also called nanami togarashi. In the United States, shichimi is sometimes referred to as "Nanami." Both names translate to "seven flavors," but "Nanami" is often used in branding for ease of pronunciation among English speakers. While "shichi" and "nana" are two pronunciations of the same character (七) and both mean "seven" in Japanese, "nana" has a more familiar sound in English, leading to the alternative name.

Ingredients

A typical blend may contain: * coarsely ground red

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

(the main ingredient) * ground sanshō ("Japanese pepper") * roasted

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

peel (

chenpi Chenpi, chen pi, or chimpi is sun-dried mandarin orange peel used as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking and traditional medicine. It is aged by storing the peels dry. The taste is first slightly sweet, but the aftertaste is pungent and ...

) * black

sesame seed Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for it ...

* white sesame seed *

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

seed * ground

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

* ''

nori Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, usually made from species of the red algae genus ''Pyropia'', including ''P. yezoensis'' and ''Pyropia tenera, P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is generally made in ...

'' or ''

aonori Green laver (), known as ''aonori'' (; ) in Japan, ''sea cabbage'' () or ''hutai'' () in China, and ''parae'' () and ''kim'' () in Korean, is a type of edible green seaweed, including species from the genera '' Monostroma'' and ''Ulva'' ('' Ul ...

'' (seaweed) *

poppy seed Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the poppy plant (''Papaver somniferum''). The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countries, ...

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus'' × ''junos'', from Japanese language, Japanese or ; ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of China, Chinese origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Z ...

peel Some recipes may substitute or supplement these with

rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus'' subsp. ''napus''), also known as rape and oilseed rape and canola, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturall ...

shiso ''Perilla frutescens'' var. ''crispa'', also known by its Japanese name shiso (), is a cultigen of '' Perilla frutescens'', a herb in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is native to the mountainous regions of China and India, but is now found world ...

. Shichimi is distinguished from , which is simply ground red chili pepper.

Use

The blend is traditionally used as a finishing spice. It is ubiquitous in restaurants in Japan; a shaker is sometimes on every table along with salt and pepper shakers and bottles of soy sauce. It is often consumed with soups and on noodles and

gyūdon , also known as , is a Cuisine of Japan, Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion, simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with ''dashi'' (Bonito, fish and Kelp, seaweed stock), soy sauce and ''mirin'' (sweet rice ...

. Some rice products, such as

rice cake A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten. Common variations include ...

agemochi is a popular Japanese snack food made from fried ''mochi'' (sticky rice). The dry ''mochi'' is broken into small pieces, about 1 cm cubed, and deep fried. The pieces then puff up. It is usually eaten lightly salted, but also various flavo ...

and roasted

rice cracker A rice cracker is an East Asian cracker made from cooked rice or rice flour. Many regional varieties exist, though most are fried or baked and puffed and/or brushed with soy sauce or vinegar to create a smooth texture. Some may also be wrapped ...

s, also use it for seasoning.

History

Shichimi dates back at least to the 17th century, when it was produced by herb dealers in

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

, current day Tokyo, and sometimes it is referred to as . Most shichimi sold today come from one of three kinds, sold near temples: sold near

Sensō-ji , is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, ...

, sold near

Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage Site. History The temple was established in 778, during the late Nara period, by Enchin Shonin, who ...

, and sold near

Zenkō-ji is a Buddhism, Buddhist temple located in the city of Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. It is one of the few remaining pilgrimage sites in Japan. The modern city of Nagano began as a town built around the ...

Culture

In modern times, the product is generally sold as a formulated product, but in the past it was prepared and sold according to the customer's needs (七味唐辛子売り). Even today, performances can be seen at festival stalls.

References

{{Chili peppers Herb and spice mixtures Japanese condiments

Etymology

Ingredients

Use

History

Culture

See also

References