Hachimi Togarashi (or Eight-Spice Japanese Chile Seasoning)

Author Notes

I enjoy a spicy condiment as much as the next guy, but I have a soft spot for togarashi, the Japanese spice mix you sprinkle on rice or noodle dishes, or, if you're like me, on everything else, like eggs and vegetables and hummus. There are plenty of takes on togarashi recipes, which vary in proportions as well as ingredients; some recipes call for hemp seeds or poppy seeds and some leave out the garlic or seaweed, but technically, "shimichi togarashi" refers to using seven ingredients. My version takes a slight detour in that it uses eight ingredients and has a smaller proportion of chiles to the other ingredients than most versions I’ve seen (my air-dried cayenne chiles from the farmers' market were quite strong, but you can adjust to your taste). There is a lot of room for tinkering with this recipe, and I do not claim that it is anything that your Japanese grandmother would call authentic, but it’ll warm you up and give your food a tasty kick. —vvvanessa