If you are excited to enjoy some Japanese food but still find you are out of shichimi togarashi, we’ve got you covered with the best shichimi togarashi substitutes, which will help you get a closer flavor replication.
The best shichimi togarashi substitutes include:
- Nanami togarashi
- Homemade shichimi togarashi
- Furikake seasoning
- Red chili flakes + sesame seeds + orange peel
- Chile powder + poppy seeds + orange peel
- Tajin seasoning
- Dukkah spice blend
So, if you ever doubted what options could come to your rescue whenever shichimi togarashi is not around, the rest of this article will have the right answer!
The Best 07 Shichimi Togarashi Substitutes
The exotic flavor combination of shichimi togarashi is a blend that actually leaves a lasting impression on foods. It typically comes together with seven ingredients which include:
- Red chiles
- Nori
- Sesame seeds/ hemp seeds
- Poppy seeds
- Orange zest/ yuzu zest
- Ground ginger
- Sansho pepper/ Szechuan peppercorns
The vivid flavor profile of this blend can be hard to replicate using regular spice blends. However, still, we can get hold of a few easy, budget-friendly, and effective replacements that could be compared to the effect of shichimi togarashi.
01- Nanami Togarashi
Nanami togarashi is similar to shichimi but has a more prominent citrus accent. In fact, this option is the sibling of our topic leader, sharing the same ingredients but perhaps with slightly different proportions. Therefore, you can use Nanami togarashi in place of shichimi in any recipe that originally calls for it in equal ratios.
02- Homemade Shichimi Togarashi
The next best option if you expect to have the same effect as shichimi togarashi is to put together your own fresh batch at home. The ingredients are simple, and you can easily find them if you visit a supermarket or an Asian store.
Homemade shichimi togarashi will taste the same as the ones you usually buy from the store, and you can use it the same way with various dishes without any limitations.
03- Furikake Seasoning
Furikake or furikake rice seasoning is another popular blend of spices, herbs, seasonings, and vegetables widely used in Japanese cuisine. So, if you happen to have this seasoning instead of shichimi or if you find this option in the store when our topic leader is unavailable, this can be considered a great option to try on!
Furikake contains many more ingredients than shichimi but shares some similar elements like sesame seeds, nori, and chile peppers. It is not as hot as shichimi, yet you can have the depth of flavor you expect from the original blend. In addition to these ingredients, furikake might also contain dried vegetables, bonito flakes, soy sauce, and traces of fish and shrimp.
Therefore, most of the time, furikake cannot be a good option for vegetarians or vegans. However, if having traces of seafood is not a problem, you can go ahead and use this substitute with rice dishes, soups, avocado dishes, eggs, etc. The substituting amount totally depends on your palate, so you can start with a small amount and adjust the quantities if the taste is good to go.
04- Red Chili Flakes + Sesame Seeds + Orange Peel
Individual ingredients lying in your spice cabinet can obviously come to save your dishes when you run short of shichimi togarashi. Accordingly, you can use a combination of red chile flakes, sesame seeds, and orange peel to create something similar to the original blend.
For example, you can pulse one tablespoon of red chili flakes with two teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds and ½-1 teaspoon of dried orange zest in a spice grinder to get this mixture. Throw in a dash of salt and black pepper if you need your blend to have more flavor approximation. You can use black sesame, white sesame, and even hemp seeds depending on what you have in hand.
You might not want to use this quick prep with everything that calls for shichimi, but it still could be great with marinades, rubs, to mix with salad dressings, and even to stir with ramen bowls. Use this replacement in moderate amounts at the beginning and adjust as desired.
05- Chile Powder + Poppy Seeds + Orange Peel
In addition to the simple mixture mentioned in the previous point, mixing chile powder with poppy seeds and orange peel is another quick and easy shichimi togarashi substitute you can make. It would be best if you could use a Japanese chile powder like ichimi togarashi. But still, regular chile powders we find in the Western market, like cayenne powder or chipotle chile powder, will also work well.
Use the ingredients in an approximation of 3:1:1 ratio, which means, if you use one tablespoon of chile powder, two teaspoons of poppy seeds with ½-1 teaspoon of orange zest. Add in some salt and pepper if you prefer a salty and peppery kick. You can use this mix to top soups, noodles, rice dishes and even mix this with dry rubs, wet rubs, or marinades. Adjust the quantity you wish to substitute depending on your palate.
06- Tajin Seasoning
Tajin is a popular seasoning used in Mexican cuisine. This blend includes chile peppers, dehydrated lime/ lime zest, salt, and sometimes sugar. Tajin seasoning could help to give out the hot and tangy kick you get from shichimi, but it might lack the depth and nutty, spicy elements our topic leader possesses.
However, this could be used in pinches with some dishes that originally called for shichimi togarashi, like incorporating it into rubs and marinades, mixing with salad dressings and vinaigrettes, tossing it with snacks, and spicing up dips. It is always better to be aware of the potent tart accent this option could give, and therefore we suggest beginning with a moderate amount and then proceeding with adjusting.
07- Dukkah Spice Blend
This Egyptian spice blend is another flavorful, exotic combination that could be used in place of our topic leader as an edge case. Dukkah usually contains roasted hazelnuts, sesame seeds, ground coriander, cumin and may sometimes include black pepper and salt.
You will not get the citrus note and the hotness of the chile peppers in the dukkah spice blend. But still, this is a viable replacement that is good to go in dips, grilled meat, seafood, or vegetables. You can also use this option to top noodles or soup bowls.
Mix some chile powder and a splash of lemon juice with dukkah if you need a closer flavor. However, note that this substitute might contain a stronger nutty element than shichimi togarashi with traces of hazelnut and peanut. Thus, use it only if you are not allergic to nuts and too sensitive to the taste of nuts.
Bail Out Your Dishes With These Effective Shichimi Togarashi Substitutes!
If you ever found it hard to replicate the exotic flavor of shichimi togarashi with any other spice blends or seasonings, we hope our article made it all up for you! Substitutes like Nanami togarashi and furikake seasoning, along with a homemade shichimi blend, can be the top replacements for our topic leader.
At the same time, simple pantry staple combinations and premade blends like tajin and dukkah seasonings can also be used in pinches. So, let us know which alternative worked best for you by leaving us a comment below.
