- Spice
- 一味唐辛子
Ichimi togarashi
One flavor, and it is heat.
Flavor profile
The strengths are editorial judgments on a scale within the family, not measurements. They can be compared across the spices varieties, not directly against another family.
Ichimi is dried Japanese chili, ground, and nothing more. Ichi means one, so one flavor against shichimi's seven. That makes it the hottest member of the family, since there is no sesame or citrus peel to soften it, and at the same time the most useful in a simmering pot: there is no volatile aroma to lose. It is the dial for heat, not for flavor.
Sensory analysis
Pyramid and character
Aroma
from the jar
- dried chili
- faintly roasted
Taste
on the tongue
- pure heat
- chili
Finish
what lingers
- long warmth
- dry
Character 0-100 per axis, set relative to the other entries in the same family. An editorial judgment of a typical serving, not measurements.
Background
Facts
- Raw material
- dried red chili, ground to a powder; no other ingredients
- The name
- ichi is one and togarashi is chili, so one-flavor chili, as opposed to shichimi's seven
- Heat
- counts as hotter than shichimi precisely because nothing else dilutes it
- The role
- the one to reach for when a dish should get hotter without tasting of anything new
- Use
- noodle soups, simmered dishes, yakitori, and miso; also the chili that can go into a pot, since dried chili stands up to heat
At the table
Use
- Dosage
- start with a pinch; it builds fast and cannot be taken back
- Timing
- works both in the pot and at the table, unlike most of the family
- Note
- the powder fades with time, and a pale ichimi is milder than it looks
Evidence
Sources
- Shichimi (Wikipedia), med avsnitt om ichimi (retrieved 2026-08-12)
- What is ichimi togarashi (Agriture) (retrieved 2026-08-12)