Yawataya Isogoro Shichimi & Yuzu Shichimi Tin Set (八幡屋礒五郎 七味・ゆず七味 缶入りセット)

The story behind it

In 1736, the first-generation Kanemon began selling chili pepper in the temple grounds of Zenkoji. It spread as a souvenir for pilgrims, and the shop has stayed at the same temple gate for more than 280 years since.

The blend is seven ingredients: chili pepper, sansho pepper, ginger, hemp seed, sesame, dried citrus peel and shiso. At the founding, six of the seven could be sourced from the nearby Nishiyama district. Hemp seed and sansho grew wild, while chili, sesame, ginger and shiso were grown under contract by neighboring farmers. Only the citrus peel came from the Kamigata region further west.

Alongside Yagenbori in Asakusa and Shichimiya in Kyoto, it counts as one of Japan's three great shichimi. The same word covers very different blends: Edo's Yagenbori pushes the heat forward, while here the aroma of sansho and ginger leads.

This set holds the standard shichimi and a yuzu version, both in tins. A tin makes sense for a spice that hates humidity, and it is a shape you can leave on the table.