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
🇯🇵 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
🇯🇵 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
🇨🇳 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
🇯🇵 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
🇨🇳 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 3 moreWasabiわさび
The pungent rhizome of a stream-side plant, grated fresh for sushi.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 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
🇰🇷 South KoreaCheongyang chili pepper청양고추
A medium-sized Korean cultivar of Capsicum annuum with 10,000 Scoville heat units.Chilli · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 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
🇯🇵 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.
- Yuzu koshō: njt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Karashi: yoppy, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kōrēgusu: ayustety, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wasabi: Qwert1234, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hainan yellow lantern chili: Anna Frodesiak, CC0, source
- Shishito pepper: Sotaque, CC0, source
- Yongfeng chili sauce: Elena0100, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chili oil: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Er jing tiao: Borshingwoods, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mala: Theorb, Public domain, source
- Shichimi: http://www.recipelab.jp/sozai/detail/1779/, CC0, source