Shichimi togarashi
shih-CHEE-mee toh-gah-RAH-shee
Spicy, citrusy, nutty, savory.
What it is
Shichimi togarashi, meaning seven flavor chile, is a Japanese tabletop blend built on chile flakes and rounded out with sansho pepper, dried citrus peel, sesame seeds, nori seaweed, ginger, and poppy or hemp seed. The result is spicy, citrusy, nutty, and savory all at once, with the citrus peel and sansho setting it apart from a plain chile mix. It is a finishing seasoning, scattered over udon and soba noodles, rice bowls, yakitori, and soups at the table. The exact seven vary by maker, and some shops are famous for their house blends.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: sweet dishes.
Common in Japanese cooking.
Whole vs ground
Shichimi togarashi is a coarse mixed blend, not a fine powder, combining chile flakes with seeds and dried citrus peel for texture and aroma.
How to handle it
Sprinkle over finished dishes at the table, on noodles, rice bowls, grilled meat, and soups. It is a finishing seasoning, added at the end.
Storage
Airtight and cool. The sesame and citrus fade, so buy small and use within a few months.
Buying note
Blends vary by maker; some lean hotter, some more citrusy. The best are freshly blended at specialist shops.
What's in it
- Sesame·nutty body
- Sichuan pepper·stand-in for tingling sansho
- Poppy seed·seedy texture
Classic dishes
udon, soba, gyudon, yakitori.
Out of shichimi togarashi? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| chile flakes with sesame, orange zest, and a little Sichuan pepper | to taste | approximates the chile, nut, and citrus notes |
One odd thing
Shichimi togarashi means seven flavor chile, and the dried citrus peel and tingling sansho pepper are what set it apart from a plain chile blend.