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EveryMasala

Classic blends

Shichimi togarashi

Japan's seven-flavour chilli blend with sansho, orange peel, sesame and seaweed.

Shichimi togarashi, also nanami togarashi, means seven-flavour chilli pepper. It is a coarse table seasoning sprinkled on noodles, soups, grilled skewers and rice dishes. It is traditionally mixed to order at shops in Kyoto and Tokyo.

What goes in

Red chilli: 31%31%Sansho: 15%15%Orange peel: 15%15%Black sesame: 15%15%White sesame: 8%Ginger: 8%Nori: 8%13parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Dry Dry the orange peel and the nori until crisp.
  2. Step 2: Toast Toast the sesame lightly.
  3. Step 3: Grind Grind the chilli, sansho and ginger coarsely.
  4. Step 4: Grind Crumble the peel and nori into small flakes.
  5. Step 5: Blend Mix everything together.
  6. Step 6: Store Store in a small shaker jar.
  7. Red chilli: 31%31%Sansho: 15%15%Orange peel: 15%15%Black sesame: 15%15%White sesame: 8%Ginger: 8%Nori: 8%
    Finished Shichimi togarashi, by share.

Seven parts

Typical parts are red chilli, sansho pepper, dried orange or yuzu peel, black and white sesame, ground ginger, nori or aonori seaweed and poppy or hemp seed. The mix changes between shops.

History

It is described as dating to the Edo period, when medicine sellers in Edo, now Tokyo, mixed spices. It remains on the table at udon and soba restaurants.

Where it is used

UdonYakitoriBeef bowlMiso soup

The spices in it

SesameNutty.Chili pepperHeat.Sichuan pepperThe dried husk of Zanthoxylum fruit, prized for its citrus scent and electric numbness.GingerThe pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.

Also part of it, and being written: Japanese pepper (Sansho.).

More on EveryMasala

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.