Where Was Shichimi Togarashi Born? Yagenbori in Edo, and 400 Years of the Original Blend

A small canister on the table at a soba shop. Say that the red powder you shake out of it without thinking carries a story running back 400 years to Edo, and plenty of people will be surprised.

Shichimi togarashi feels like one of those seasonings that has simply always been used across Japan. In fact, both the place it was born and the year it was born are recorded.

Born in Yagenbori, a district of medicine

Shichimi togarashi began in Yagenbori (薬研堀) in Edo, around present-day Higashi-Nihonbashi in Chuo City, Tokyo, a district once known for its medicine wholesalers.

In 1625, in that town, the first Tokuemon (徳右衛門) took his cue from the thinking of kampo herbal medicine and blended seven spices. That, the story goes, is where shichimi togarashi starts. Chili pepper was still handled as medicine in that era. A combination of spices meant to warm the body and encourage appetite moved onto the table as a seasoning just as it was.

In time the blend earned enough of a reputation to be presented to the shogun, and settled in as a specialty of Edo. The spice shop took the name of the district - Yagenbori - and it is the original maker of shichimi togarashi.

Seven spices, by design

The "shichi" in shichimi means seven, and it means it literally: seven spices. The standard blend carried on at Yagenbori runs as follows.

Roasted chili pepper, raw chili pepper, black sesame, chinpi (dried mandarin peel), sansho, poppy seed, hemp seed. Chili pepper carries the heat, sansho and chinpi lift the aroma, sesame and poppy seed add a toasted note. Heat, aroma and texture are assembled precisely inside one canister.

This is the decisive difference from ichimi togarashi, which is chili pepper alone, ground. If ichimi adds pure heat, shichimi is a seasoning where what you taste is the balance of heat and aroma. A single shake carries the depth that only a blend born from kampo thinking has.

Blended to the customer's taste

Yagenbori Nakajima Shoten still stands behind its counter in Asakusa, carrying on the blend of 400 years ago.

What the shop is known for is okonomi chogo, adjusting the proportions on the spot to suit the customer. More heat. More sansho. Whatever the request, the shichimi is built in front of you. Rather than taking a finished jar off a shelf, you choose your own blend. The spice merchant's flair, carried down from Edo, is still working.

How to use shichimi togarashi, and what to look for

• Soba and udon: it goes without saying with a hot bowl. Blends where the sansho comes forward suit them especially well
• Tonjiru and miso soup: one shake into a Japanese soup and the aroma rises
• Yakitori and pickles: the cool edge of sansho sits well against fat and salt
• What to look for: aroma fades over time. Buy an amount you will finish, and use it up soon after opening

Behind that everyday shake sit 400 years running back to Yagenbori in Edo. Next time you pick up the canister, give the history a moment's thought.

Frequently asked questions

Where was shichimi togarashi born?

In Yagenbori (薬研堀) in Edo, around present-day Higashi-Nihonbashi in Chuo City, Tokyo. The story handed down is that in 1625 the first Tokuemon took his cue from kampo herbal medicine and blended seven spices. It became a specialty of Edo, and was presented to the shogun.

What is the difference between shichimi togarashi and ichimi togarashi?

Ichimi togarashi is chili pepper alone, ground - what you reach for when you want pure heat. Shichimi togarashi puts sansho, chinpi, sesame and other spices alongside the chili, so it is a seasoning for aroma and flavor rather than heat by itself. The blend came out of the thinking of kampo herbal medicine.

What goes into shichimi togarashi?

The standard blend is seven ingredients: roasted chili pepper, raw chili pepper, black sesame, chinpi (dried mandarin peel), sansho, poppy seed and hemp seed. Shops and regions blend differently, and at Yagenbori you can still have it mixed to your own taste, a service the shop calls okonomi chogo.