# My Newest Addiction



## JustJoel

I hope this is the appropriate forum for this post. It could easily go into spice blends, but it’s not really a rub or marinade, in and of itself, and it could be inserted into int’l foods, as its origin is Japan.

Anyone familiar with Japanese cuisine knows that it isn’t inherently spicy. While the flavor profiles can be quite complex, they are usually delicately spiced and rely more on umami than searing heat. If you go for udon though, you’ll generally find a little wooden bowl with a tiny little wooden spoon, filled with a red-orange powder and black specks. It’s _shichimi togarashi,_ translated as seven taste pepper. Made primarily from ground red chili pepper, with the addition, of either the numbing Szechuan peppercorn or its Japanese cousin _sansho,_ ground dried orange or yuzu peel, black and white sesame seeds, ground nori, and I forget the other two tastes, it is the traditional accompaniment to udon. And the reason the spoon in that little wooden bowl is so tiny is because it is spicy. Very spicy. I’ve never seen it served with any other food in Japan, although you can buy shichimi rice crackers which are popular.

When added to udon, shichimi (as it’s commonly referred to), is intensely hot, and you notice it immediately, especially if you add too much like I did the first time I tried it. But it seems that the heat is activated and perhaps even exacerbated by the hot liquid.

I added some that I had saved from a takeout udon order today to my surimi salad the other day though, and the spiciness of this blend was very slow to make its presence known, and it started in the back of the throat rather than right up front on the tongue and palate. It also exhibited more of the other flavors in the blend than it seems to do when added to hot liquid. I really got that hint of citrus, the sweet nuttiness of the sesame, and the umami of the nori coming through the heat of the chili peppers. And I found that I could use quite a bit more of it than the 1/8 of a teaspoon those teensy little wooden spoons provide.

I’m addicted. Now pretty much anything that I want to give a nuanced kick to gets a dose of shichimi togarashi. Give it a try if you haven’t already! You can find it in Asian markets or on-line, and I’ve recently spotted it in the Asian foods aisle at our local supermarket. But be very careful at first, especially if it’s hot liquid your giving that kick to!


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## Rocklobster

I like Szechuan pepper so anything that adds a kick is ok by me..I'll try and find it next time I hit the stores..


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## Rascal

Vmy daughter spent time in Japan years ago, she cooks Japanese all the time. Her panko chicken is amazing and okinomaki is one of my faves. I've bought the Korean BBQ sauce and Japanese Mayo. I'll ask her about your new love.

Russ


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## JustJoel

Rascal said:


> Vmy daughter spent time in Japan years ago, she cooks Japanese all the time. Her panko chicken is amazing and okinomaki is one of my faves. I've bought the Korean BBQ sauce and Japanese Mayo. I'll ask her about your new love.
> 
> Russ


Oh my, okonomiyaki! I think I’ve got some mix at home,and some sauce and Kewpie and nori and katsuobushi. I’ll have to stop and get eggs though. That sounds sooooooo good right now! Real comfort food!


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## JustJoel

Rocklobster said:


> I like Szechuan pepper so anything that adds a kick is ok by me..I'll try and find it next time I hit the stores..



There are quite a few brands if you shop on-line, but I think the most common you’ll find on the shelves looks like this


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## JustJoel

JustJoel said:


> Oh my, okonomiyaki! I think I’ve got some mix at home,and some sauce and Kewpie and nori and katsuobushi. I’ll have to stop and get eggs though. That sounds sooooooo good right now! Real comfort food!


Rats! Bought the eggs, forgot cabbage! Guess the okonomiyaki will have to wait til tomorrow night. Tortilla pizza or surimi salad tonight, I guess. Or maybe both. And a chocolate milkshake. Definitely a chocolate milkshake.


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## CraigC

JustJoel said:


> There are quite a few brands if you shop on-line, but I think the most common you’ll find on the shelves looks like this
> 
> View attachment 30620



We buy it in large bags at the Asian markets locally. My wife just got some shiso seeds. It did well last year for us.


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## JustJoel

CraigC said:


> We buy it in large bags at the Asian markets locally. My wife just got some shiso seeds. It did well last year for us.


We grew shiso when we lived in Michigan, where it did very well. It’s such a bright flavor that can turn plain white rice into a meal. Alas, it doesn’t do well here in the desert, and is not very available in the Asian markets in the area; the closest thing I’ve found is the Korean version of it, perilla, which is just not quite the same. I wonder why it’s not more popular here in the states?


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## roadfix

There's a local okonomiyaki joint we go to from time to time.    Their picture menu is extensive, over 20+ pages.

I do have some takoyaki mix sitting in the pantry....haven't used my cast iron takoyaki griddle in a long while.

I love shichimi, and use it on a lot of things.    And also Ra-Yu chili oil, especially with gyoza...


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## powerplantop

First time I used it in a noodle shop I almost put to much. I was thinking nothing in Japan is spicy then this stuff. Nothing in the middle. But yes it is good.


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## JustJoel

powerplantop said:


> First time I used it in a noodle shop I almost put to much. I was thinking nothing in Japan is spicy then this stuff. Nothing in the middle. But yes it is good.


That’s funny, because my first experience with udon, I put EIGHT tiny wooden spoonfuls into my broth. My Japanese friends looked on wordlessly, choking back laughter, until I had my first taste. It was all really very funny, and the udonya proprietor was kind enough to replace my bowl of noodles, into which I put precisely ONE tiny spoonful!


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## Rascal

JustJoel said:


> Rats! Bought the eggs, forgot cabbage! Guess the okonomiyaki will have to wait til tomorrow night. Tortilla pizza or surimi salad tonight, I guess. Or maybe both. And a chocolate milkshake. Definitely a chocolate milkshake.



Cabbage is the best part of it. Do you use courgette as well??

Russ


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## Kayelle

JustJoel said:


> There are quite a few brands if you shop on-line, but I think the most common you’ll find on the shelves looks like this
> 
> View attachment 30620




I've had a little bottle of that for *years*. I like to sprinkle it on top of lots of  my Asian dishes. I like spicy and husband doesn't, so that works well.
I need to buy more, as there's only a tiny bit left after at least 10 years.


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## roadfix

Kayelle said:


> I've had a little bottle of that for *years*. I like to sprinkle it on top of lots of  my Asian dishes. I like spicy and husband doesn't, so that works well.
> I need to buy more, as there's only a tiny bit left after at least 10 years.



I think I go through a bottle of that like every other month.   The little bottles are rather cheap at $1.75 each.


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## Kayelle

roadfix said:


> I think I go through a bottle of that like every other month.   The little bottles are rather cheap at $1.75 each.




I know you cook a lot more Asian than I do RF. I really enjoy the complex flavor of it in moderation, especially on Orange Chicken I often prepare from Trader Joe's.


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## salt and pepper

I've been using it for quite a while. I even mix my own. The Japanese use it like we use salt & pepper. 
    The real seasoning uses " #@% seeds" in the recipes! (hemp).


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## JustJoel

Rascal said:


> Cabbage is the best part of it. Do you use courgette as well??
> 
> Russ


I know that a courgette is a veggie that’s called by a different name here in the States, but I forgot which one. Zucchini? Eggplant? If it’s either of those, then no. Just cabbage, or if I’m lazy a packaged coleslaw mix, which has carrots, too.


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## Cooking Goddess

courgette=zucchini
aubergine=eggplant


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## JustJoel

Cooking Goddess said:


> courgette=zucchini
> aubergine=eggplant


Thanks. You know how long I’ll remember that, right?

Oh I know! Both “courgette” and “zucchini” have “c” in them. “Aubergine” and “eggplant” don’t. Now all I have to do is remember the mnemonic!


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## Cooking Goddess

If it helps, *Joel*, aubergine is also the French word for purple. Traditionally, eggplant are purple, although there are white ones that are ornamental.

As far as courgette=zucchini? It would be easier if a corgi were a longer dog.


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## taxlady

Courge is French for squash, so courgette is a little squash.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Discuss Cooking mobile app


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## GotGarlic

JustJoel said:


> Thanks. You know how long I’ll remember that, right?
> 
> Oh I know! Both “courgette” and “zucchini” have “c” in them. “Aubergine” and “eggplant” don’t. Now all I have to do is remember the mnemonic!


Aubergine and eggplant both start with a vowel.


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## CWS4322

I shared this a few years ago:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f22/okonomiyaki-89683.html

Dang, wish I still could access the foodie shops in Ottawa!


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## JustJoel

CWS4322 said:


> I shared this a few years ago:
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f22/okonomiyaki-89683.html
> 
> Dang, wish I still could access the foodie shops in Ottawa!


That seems way too complicated and ingredient heavy. The prepared flour (_okonomiyakiko_), a couple of eggs, the cabbage and some green onions work just fine for me. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of kimchi. I like seafood as the filling (oysters are particularly delicious), and of course okonomi sauce, Kewpie mayo, nori and katsuobushi. And sometimes an egg.


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