Japanese "spices"

[Hiroyuki]

There are three major shichimi manufacturers in Japan.

1. やげん掘中島屋 Yagenhori Nakajimaya

http://www.norenkai.net/shop/yagenhori/yagenhori.html

located in Asakusa, Tokyo.

2. 八幡屋礒五郎 Yahataya Isogorou

http://www.yawataya.co.jp/index.html

located near the famous temple, Zenkoji, Nagano.

3. 七味屋 Shichimiya

http://www.shichimiya.co.jp/

located in Kyoto.

A list of Shichimiya shops can be found here http://www.shichimiya.co.jp/tenpo/index.html (Japanese only).

1 is piquant (goes well with Kanto soba), 3 is aromatic (goes well with Kansai udon), and 2 is somewhere in between and contains ginger to make you warm, unlike the other two. I'm familiar with 1 and 2, but not with 3.

I don't think S&B shichimi is bad at all.

from this post:

From this webpage of S&B

http://www.sbsoken.com/siryo/spice_qa/text/redp04.htm

Shichimi togarashi of S&B provides harmony between piquancy and fragrance, taking into consideration the characteristics of the shichimi in such various regions...

[Hiroyuki]

If the Tokyo shichimi is the type you want to get, you have an opportunity to get some at this event, to be held on the seventh floor at Kintetsu Abeno from March 30 through April 5.

[_john]

I don't think S&B shichimi is bad at all.

←

It is not that I think it is bad, I just think it could be better . S&B sort of reminds me of McDonalds because their products are designed to appeal to the widest range of people and the widest range of tastes all over Japan.

Thanks for the info, I will check these out and report back on my purchases (if I make any).

Maybe I will attempt making it myself, but I would like to try some original varieties first.

[torakris]

Not really a special blend, but I like my House brand kaori shichimi with an attached mill so you can grind it as you need it.

The have quite a few mill attached products I also use the sansho one.

[Culinista]

I'm terrible with plants, travel a ton, and live in a London flat, but anyone know if it is possible to grow kinome? I'm that desperate!

I get sanshou at Nishiki Market as well whenever I'm there.

[torakris]

I'm terrible with plants, travel a ton, and live in a London flat, but anyone know if it is possible to grow kinome? I'm that desperate!

I get sanshou at Nishiki Market as well whenever I'm there.

←

It is possible.

I received cutting from a friend's plant but they died... probably because I sort of forgot about them.

I am not sure how easy they are though because I can kill aything.

[Hiroyuki]

I'm terrible with plants, travel a ton, and live in a London flat, but anyone know if it is possible to grow kinome? I'm that desperate!

I get sanshou at Nishiki Market as well whenever I'm there.

←

It is possible.

I received cutting from a friend's plant but they died... probably because I sort of forgot about them.

I am not sure how easy they are though because I can kill aything.

←

What I learned from a quick google search is that sansho is on the top ten list of hard-to-cultivate plants...

from here (Japanese only)

栽培し難いベスト１０にランクされている程難しい木ですが頑張ってください、

[helenjp]

I think sansho's reputation comes from two reasons:

1) it needs to be in a sunny place, BUT it needs plenty of water. In other words, think of a sunny hillside among larger trees, that gets plenty of rain but is never waterlogged.

2) it is rarely grown from seed, so you are seeing rooted cuttings. Roots on such plants are never as robust as those on seedlings, and then you have a plant which is a little pernickety about drainage requirements in the first place.

This may be why it is so often container grown. I did kill one by placing it in a sunny DRY spot near the concrete foundations of our house. But I'll know better next time, won't I, and now is the season for buying sansho plants.

[torakris]

Helen,

Thanks for that information, I think I will try it again. It was definitely in a sunny but dry area before....

[Culinista]

One of the hardest plants to cultivate that requires a lot of sun and regular watering? I'm doomed

On the other hand, provided I can find a cutting of kinome in England, maybe I could leave it outside in a pot. I live on Richmond Hill with a famous view overlooking the Thames. The hill is a big meadow with some trees, and the view is legally protected open space. It rains pretty much every day, but it will get whatever sun is available in London. Maybe it would grow there, as long as a cow didn't eat it.