Shichimi Togarashi Recipe (Japanese Seven Spice)

🌶️ Ingredients in Shichimi Togarash

Sansho Peppercorns

I remember the first time I grew and tasted the medicinal herb spilanthes. It has a weird effect, kinda like you put a battery in your mouth. Anyway, these peppercorns, often referred to as "numbing pepper," have a sorta similar effect due to the presence of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool.

Szechuan peppercorns (aka Sichuan peppercorns) can be used too. If you have some leftover after making this, you should whip up a batch of my chili garlic sauce, another spicy Asian condiment that I think you will love the heck out of.

Dried Orange Peel

Commonly, dried yuzu peel is used in shichimi togarashi. But since fresh and dried yuzu aren’t that common in the US, I wrote this recipe to be made with dried orange peel.

If you have fresh oranges, you can make your own dried orange peel by peeling the most external layer of the orange with a vegetable peeler and either just letting the peels air dry for a few days in a warm, dry location, or by using a food dehydrator. Using an oven to dry the orange peels will turn the peels dark and bitter unless you do it at the lowest possible temperature.

White and Black Sesame Seeds

One name for this condiment is nana-iro tōgarashi, which is sometimes translated as seven color spice. This is one of the reasons the spice blend traditionally uses mixed sesame seeds rather than just one color. In place of black sesame seeds, some shichimi togarashi recipes call for poppy seeds or hemp seeds, but I like it better this way.

Goma means sesame, which explains the name of Japan’s popular goma dressing! Toasting your own unroasted seeds makes the flavor fresher, though pre-toasted seeds will work as long as you toast them more briefly.

Ichimi Togarashi

This recipe is really the best made with ichimi togarashi, Japanese ground red chili flakes.

If you can’t get any, my top two substitution recommendations are gochugaru and Aleppo red pepper flakes. If you have either of those leftover after making this, gochugaru can be used to make vegan kimchi and Korean tofu soup, while Aleppo pepper flakes can be used in vegan Turkish recipes like cranberry ezme and kısır.

Ground Ginger

Dried ginger powder is often a little weak tasting. It wasn’t until I tried the buffalo ginger from Burlap and Barrel that I felt like I finally had tasted dried ginger that had the spicy bite of the fresh stuff!

I love their spices so much that I worked out a special deal with the company for ya. If you order the ginger for this recipe through my link, they will throw you a bottle of their wild mountain cumin seeds (which are insanely good) for free!

Get my fave cumin seeds for free!

Using this link, add the wild mountain cumin to your cart, spend at least $15 on some of the other absurdly good spices from Burlap & Barrel (they all seriously slap) and the bottle of this bangin' wild mountain cumin becomes FREE, and you will love it so much.

Yes Please!

Aonori (or Crushed Nori)

Aonori, dried nori seaweed flakes, provide a complex umami flavor and a hint of oceanic saltiness. It’s also super good for you!

Crushed nori (the type used in sushi) can be used in place of aonori, which is often harder to find.

📖 How to Make This Shichimi Togarashi Recipe

Nail this classic Japanese spice blend on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.

Step One

Toast of the Town:

Heat up a large skillet over medium heat and toss in the Szechuan peppercorns (or sansho peppercorns). Stir them around for 60-90 seconds, keeping an eye out for that heavenly fragrance to kick in.

✅ This sorta wakes up the flavors, releasing all the oils that really enliven the final condiment.

Step Two

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Once the peppercorns are aromatic, add in the dried orange peel and both sesame seeds. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until the white sesame seeds start to toast lightly.

✅ Be careful here. You don’t want to burn the seeds or make any of this stuff taste bitter. Use a thick skillet, and keep the contents of the pan moving to just get even light toasting.

Step Three

Grindcore:

Transfer the toasted sesame seeds, sansho pepper, and citrus peel from the pan into a spice grinder, coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, or high-speed blender.

Toss in the ground red chili pepper, aonori (or crushed nori), and ginger, then grind until you have a mostly fine powder, with some little sesame seed bits and orange rind still visible.

Step Four

Pack It Up, Pack It In. Let Me Begin:

If you aren’t going to garnish some vegan tofu katsu with it right this very instant, you are gonna need to pack this up for later.

Carefully transfer your new seasoning blend into an airtight container. Store it in a cool, dry place until you're ready to sprinkle that magic on whatever you're cooking. This spice mix will keep for months if stored properly.