Shichimi togarashi

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About Shichimi togarashi
Shichimi tōgarashi (Japanese: 七味唐辛子, "seven flavor chili pepper") or simply shichimi, is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. It is also known as nanami tōgarashi outside Japan (nana being an alternative word for "seven" (七)).

A typical blend may contain:


 * coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient)
 * ground sansho (Sichuan pepper)
 * roasted orange peel
 * black sesame seed
 * white sesame seed
 * hemp seed
 * ground ginger
 * nori or aonori

Some recipes may substitute or supplement these with poppy seed, yuzu peel, rape seed or shiso.

It dates back at least to the 17th century, when it was produced by herb dealers in Edo, current day Tokyo, and sometimes it is referred to as Yagenbori (Japanese: 薬研堀, from the name of the original place of production). Now, some specialized shops located in front of temples such as Zenkoji in Nagano and Kiyomizudera in Kyoto are well known in Japan.

It is often used in soups and on noodles and gyūdon. Some rice products such as rice cakes, agemochi and roasted rice crackers also use it for seasoning.

Shichimi should be distinguished from ichimi tōgarashi, which is simply ground red chili pepper, and means literally "one flavor chili pepper" (ichi meaning "one").