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
🇯🇵 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
🇨🇳 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
🇯🇵 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
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGarlic powder
A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇯🇵 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
🇨🇳 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
🇯🇵 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.
- Sichuan pepper: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yuzu koshō: njt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kōrēgusu: ayustety, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Garlic powder: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sansho: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
- Mala: Theorb, Public domain, source
- Garlic chives: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shichimi: http://www.recipelab.jp/sozai/detail/1779/, CC0, source