One of the highlights of our Kyoto trip for me was a special pilgrimage we made to a unique spice store which sells what they call the world's hottest shichimi. The word shichimi means 'seven flavors' and shichimi spice is a zesty addition to many meals in Japan. This spice is especially popular with noodle dishes such as udon and soba though some people use it with other dishes as well. A similar (and hotter!) spice is called ichimi 'one flavor' which, as the name suggests, contains just one ingredient: togarashi (red chili pepper). I am a huge fan of both spices and eagerly search for the characteristic shichimi spice dispenser at every Japanese restaurant I visit. When Yumiko told me of this shop in Kyoto I was determined to make a visit though it was handy that the shop was only around the corner from the place Emily and Yumiko rented their kimono. The ingredients of shichimi are as follows: 1. Red chili pepper 2. Mandarin orange peel 3. Sesame seed 4. Poppy seed 5. Hemp seed 6. Nori or aonori 7. Ground sansho (a relative of Sichuan pepper) My thanks to Wikipedia for facts related to the shichimi spice.

• published: 31 Dec 2009
• views: 10229