Shichimi togarashi
A Japanese table blend of chilli, sansho, sesame, orange peel, nori and other seven ingredients.
Also: nanami togarashi, seven-flavour chilli, Japanese seven spice
Shichimi togarashi means seven-flavour chilli pepper. The mix, developed in Edo-period Tokyo by herbal-medicine sellers, combines ground red chilli, sansho pepper, dried orange or tangerine peel, black and white sesame, nori seaweed, poppy or hemp seed and ginger, with variations by shop. It is a table seasoning shaken over udon, soba, yakitori, rice, grilled meat and soups. Each seller blends to a different hotness. Fresh shichimi smells of citrus and the sea, and loses vigour in months, so buy small amounts. Kyoto's Shichimiya Honpo is a famed old shop for it.