extra = seven-flavor chili pepper, also known as extra = seven-color chili pepper[.][.] or simply shichimi, is a common Japanese cuisine spice mixture containing seven ingredients.[Gordenker, Alice, " Shichimi Togarashi: The Japanese 7-Spice Mix You Have to Try", Japanese Food Guide]
Etymology
"Shichi" means seven, "mi" means flavor, and "togarashi" is the red chili pepper
Capsicum annuum.
The blend is also called nanami togarashi.
In the United States, shichimi is sometimes referred to as "Nanami." Both names translate to "seven flavors," but "Nanami" is often used in branding for ease of pronunciation among English speakers. While "shichi" and "nana" are two pronunciations of the same character (七) and both mean "seven" in Japanese, "nana" has a more familiar sound in English, leading to the alternative name.
Ingredients
A typical blend may contain:
Some recipes may substitute or supplement these with rapeseed or shiso. Shichimi is distinguished from extra = ichimi, one-flavor chili pepper, which is simply ground red chili pepper.
Use
The blend is traditionally used as a finishing spice. It is ubiquitous in restaurants in Japan; a shaker is sometimes on every table along with salt and pepper shakers and bottles of soy sauce.
It is often consumed with soups and on noodles and
gyudon. Some rice products, such as
,
agemochi and roasted
senbei, also use it for seasoning.
History
Shichimi 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 extra = from the name of the original place of production. Most shichimi sold today come from one of three kinds, sold near temples: やげん堀 sold near Sensō-ji, 七味家 sold near
Kiyomizu-dera, and 八幡屋磯五郎 sold near Zenkō-ji.
Culture
In modern times, the product is generally sold as a formulated product, but in the past it was prepared and sold according to the customer's needs (七味唐辛子売り). Even today, performances can be seen at festival stalls.
See also
