Spices of East Asia
Sichuan pepper, star anise and five-spice, gochugaru, shichimi and wasabi: seasoning built on pastes, ferments and the numbing peppercorn. 34 spices on EveryMasala so far.
Spice cities, markets and growing areas
Sichuan 3Aichi Prefecture 1Azumino 1Chongqing 1Edo 1Guizhou 1Hainan 1Hainan Island 1Hita 1Iwate Prefecture 1Izu Peninsula 1Kiyomizu-dera 1Miyako-jima 1Mount Hiko 1Nagano Prefecture 1Okinawa 1Sensō-ji 1Shimane Prefecture 1Shizuoka Prefecture 1Shuangfeng County 1Soeda 1Toyohashi 1Wakayama Prefecture 1Xinhui 1Yongfeng 1Yufuin Onsen 1Zenkō-ji 1Zhejiang 1ChengduHanyuan
Blends of the region
Five-spice powderShichimi togarashiKimchi seasoning pasteGochujangMala seasoningThirteen-spice powder (shisanxiang)FurikakeSichuan pepper salt (jiaoyan)
Countries
🇯🇵 JapanMoshio salt藻塩
A Japanese sea salt flavoured with dried hondawara seaweed.Seasoning · Savoury and umami
🇯🇵 JapanKarashiからし
A potent Japanese mustard made from brown mustard seeds, served as a sharp condiment.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 JapanYuzu koshō柚子胡椒
A fermented Japanese paste of chili peppers and yuzu citrus peel.Paste · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese prickly-ash
A thorny East Asian shrub whose reddish berries yield Sichuan pepperFruit
🇨🇳 ChinaYongfeng chili sauce永丰辣酱
A fermented paste of peppers, rice and wheat from Hunan province, one of the region's three treasures.Paste · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreShishito pepper獅子唐辛子 (Shishitōgarashi)
A slender East Asian chili that is mostly mild with occasional spicy surprises.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSichuan pepper花椒 (huājiāo)
The dried husk of Zanthoxylum fruit, prized for its citrus scent and electric numbness.Fruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 JapanGariガリ
Thinly sliced young ginger pickled in sweet vinegar, served with sushi.Sweet and mellow · Sour and tart
🇯🇵 JapanShichimi七味唐辛子
A Japanese seven-ingredient spice blend for finishing soups and noodlesBlend · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChili oil辣椒油
A red condiment of infused vegetable oil and hot peppers used across Asia and Europe.Hot and fiery · Smoky
🇨🇳 ChinaMala麻辣
A fiery, tongue-numbing Chinese seasoning of Sichuan pepper and chilliesPaste · Hot and fiery · Numbing and tingling
🇰🇷 South KoreaBamboo salt죽염
Sea salt baked nine times in bamboo stems and pine fire, a Korean condiment and traditional remedy.Seasoning · Sweet and mellow
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGarlic powder
A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean brining salt왕소금
A coarse, minimally processed salt used for fermenting kimchi in Korea.Seasoning · Sour and tart
🇨🇳 ChinaEr jing tiao二荆条
A fragrant Chinese chili cultivar prized for its deep hue and medium heatChilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreMugwort艾草 (ài cǎo)
Aromatic leaves from the Artemisia genus used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green
🇰🇷 South KoreaCheongyang chili pepper청양고추
A medium-sized Korean cultivar of Capsicum annuum with 10,000 Scoville heat units.Chilli · Hot and fiery
🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreWasabiわさび
The pungent rhizome of a stream-side plant, grated fresh for sushi.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑
An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreSansho山椒
The dried berries and young leaves of a spiny Japanese shrub, prized for their numbing citrus heat.Seed · Citrus and bright · Numbing and tingling
🇨🇳 ChinaSha ren砂仁
The dried fruit of a ginger-family plant, used in Chinese cooking and medicineSharp and pungent · Bitter
🇨🇳 ChinaXiao Mi La Pepper小米辣
A wild Capsicum frutescens cultivar from southern China, prized for intense heat in spicy regional dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 ChinaHainan yellow lantern chili海南黃燈籠椒
A bright yellow Capsicum chinense cultivar from Hainan Island known for its intense heat and high yield.Chilli · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese cassia
The thick-barked spice tree of southern China, yielding a bold and sweet bark used in cooking and medicine.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreShiso紫蘇
A mint-family herb with serrated leaves, used fresh or pickled across East Asia.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreAilanthus-like prickly ash椿叶花椒
A wild Asian prickly ash with piquant berries and edible young leavesFruit · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreZanthoxylum bungeanum
A shrub from China that produces the numbing peppercorns of Sichuan cuisine.Seed · Numbing and tingling
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreGarlic chives韭菜
A flat-leaved Allium with a garlic scent, used across Asia as a herb and vegetable.Leaf · Sweet and mellow
🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreKorean mint배초향
An anise-scented Asian mint leaf used in Korean stews and herbal traditionsLeaf · Anise and liquorice · Herbal and green
🇹🇼 Taiwan and 5 moreMountain pepper山胡椒
A citrusy tree fruit prized as a seasoning across Taiwan's indigenous cookingFruit · Citrus and bright
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreMyoga茗荷
The edible flower buds and shoots of a woodland ginger native to East Asia.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChenpi陳皮
Sun-dried mandarin orange peel aged for use in Chinese cooking and medicineFruit · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 ChinaSolo garlic独子蒜
A single-clove bulb grown without cold treatment, milder than standard garlic.Bulb · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇯🇵 JapanKōrēgusuコーレーグス
A Ryukyuan chili sauce made by soaking hot peppers in Awamori rice spirit.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 JapanKarashiからし
A potent Japanese mustard made from brown mustard seeds, served as a sharp condiment.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 JapanYuzu koshō柚子胡椒
A fermented Japanese paste of chili peppers and yuzu citrus peel.Paste · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese prickly-ash
A thorny East Asian shrub whose reddish berries yield Sichuan pepperFruit
🇨🇳 ChinaYongfeng chili sauce永丰辣酱
A fermented paste of peppers, rice and wheat from Hunan province, one of the region's three treasures.Paste · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreShishito pepper獅子唐辛子 (Shishitōgarashi)
A slender East Asian chili that is mostly mild with occasional spicy surprises.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSichuan pepper花椒 (huājiāo)
The dried husk of Zanthoxylum fruit, prized for its citrus scent and electric numbness.Fruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 JapanGariガリ
Thinly sliced young ginger pickled in sweet vinegar, served with sushi.Sweet and mellow · Sour and tart
🇯🇵 JapanShichimi七味唐辛子
A Japanese seven-ingredient spice blend for finishing soups and noodlesBlend · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChili oil辣椒油
A red condiment of infused vegetable oil and hot peppers used across Asia and Europe.Hot and fiery · Smoky
🇨🇳 ChinaMala麻辣
A fiery, tongue-numbing Chinese seasoning of Sichuan pepper and chilliesPaste · Hot and fiery · Numbing and tingling
🇰🇷 South KoreaBamboo salt죽염
Sea salt baked nine times in bamboo stems and pine fire, a Korean condiment and traditional remedy.Seasoning · Sweet and mellow
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGarlic powder
A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean brining salt왕소금
A coarse, minimally processed salt used for fermenting kimchi in Korea.Seasoning · Sour and tart
🇨🇳 ChinaEr jing tiao二荆条
A fragrant Chinese chili cultivar prized for its deep hue and medium heatChilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreMugwort艾草 (ài cǎo)
Aromatic leaves from the Artemisia genus used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green
🇰🇷 South KoreaCheongyang chili pepper청양고추
A medium-sized Korean cultivar of Capsicum annuum with 10,000 Scoville heat units.Chilli · Hot and fiery
🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreWasabiわさび
The pungent rhizome of a stream-side plant, grated fresh for sushi.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑
An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreSansho山椒
The dried berries and young leaves of a spiny Japanese shrub, prized for their numbing citrus heat.Seed · Citrus and bright · Numbing and tingling
🇨🇳 ChinaSha ren砂仁
The dried fruit of a ginger-family plant, used in Chinese cooking and medicineSharp and pungent · Bitter
🇨🇳 ChinaXiao Mi La Pepper小米辣
A wild Capsicum frutescens cultivar from southern China, prized for intense heat in spicy regional dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 ChinaHainan yellow lantern chili海南黃燈籠椒
A bright yellow Capsicum chinense cultivar from Hainan Island known for its intense heat and high yield.Chilli · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese cassia
The thick-barked spice tree of southern China, yielding a bold and sweet bark used in cooking and medicine.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreShiso紫蘇
A mint-family herb with serrated leaves, used fresh or pickled across East Asia.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreAilanthus-like prickly ash椿叶花椒
A wild Asian prickly ash with piquant berries and edible young leavesFruit · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreZanthoxylum bungeanum
A shrub from China that produces the numbing peppercorns of Sichuan cuisine.Seed · Numbing and tingling
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreGarlic chives韭菜
A flat-leaved Allium with a garlic scent, used across Asia as a herb and vegetable.Leaf · Sweet and mellow
🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreKorean mint배초향
An anise-scented Asian mint leaf used in Korean stews and herbal traditionsLeaf · Anise and liquorice · Herbal and green
🇹🇼 Taiwan and 5 moreMountain pepper山胡椒
A citrusy tree fruit prized as a seasoning across Taiwan's indigenous cookingFruit · Citrus and bright
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreMyoga茗荷
The edible flower buds and shoots of a woodland ginger native to East Asia.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChenpi陳皮
Sun-dried mandarin orange peel aged for use in Chinese cooking and medicineFruit · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 ChinaSolo garlic独子蒜
A single-clove bulb grown without cold treatment, milder than standard garlic.Bulb · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇯🇵 JapanKōrēgusuコーレーグス
A Ryukyuan chili sauce made by soaking hot peppers in Awamori rice spirit.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chinese cassia: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Sichuan pepper: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yuzu koshō: njt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Karashi: yoppy, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kōrēgusu: ayustety, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Garlic powder: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gari: DoWhile, Public domain, source
- Bamboo salt: Marcela ( talk ), GFDL 1.2, source
- Mountain pepper: LiChieh Pan / Flickr user: plj.johnny ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/, CC BY 2.0, source
- Wasabi: Qwert1234, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chenpi: Dboxes, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sansho: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sha ren: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Myoga: Mariko GODA, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hainan yellow lantern chili: Anna Frodesiak, CC0, source
- Solo garlic: joergens.mi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shiso: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ailanthus-like prickly ash: Shih-Shiuan Kao, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Shishito pepper: Sotaque, CC0, source
- Yongfeng chili sauce: Elena0100, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chinese prickly-ash: Dysmorodrepanis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chili oil: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Korean brining salt: 국립국어원, CC BY-SA 2.0 kr, source
- Er jing tiao: Borshingwoods, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mala: Theorb, Public domain, source
- Zanthoxylum bungeanum: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Garlic chives: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Korean mint: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shichimi: http://www.recipelab.jp/sozai/detail/1779/, CC0, source