Shichimi Togarashi - Japanese 7 Spice Ingredients

Shichimi Togarashi – 七味唐辛子 – means ‘seven spice blend,’ but it’s funny that if you break down those syllables a little you end up with Shi chi mi togarashi -しちみ とがらし – ‘scrubbing.’ Perhaps this tingly, spicy blend helps to scrub your innards? I don’t think so. I just found it an interesting aspect of […]

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Semiserious Smoked Salmon Furikake

Having worked on 6 furikake recipes before this one, I am surely getting the hang of flavors and styles by now. As great as it is to replicate existing ideas, it’s also nice to come up with something your own, as it pertains to your personal preferences and region. That being said, there isn’t much […]

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Shiso Perilla Furikake on Rice

There are several names and styles for this kind of furikake. First, shiso, perilla, and beefsteak plant are all the same thing. It is a member of the mint family, with green to dark purple tooth-edged leaves. It has a very strong mint-basil flavor, with definite pepperiness and a bitter undertone. It can also be […]

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Gomashio Recipe

This is the most basic of Furikakes. Simply unhulled sesame seeds and salt. It has been used in Japan for thousands of years over rice, fish, and a multitude of other dishes, but has gained some more recent fame as a lower sodium substitute to straight salt. Using a ratio anywhere from 15:1 to 5:1 […]

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