S&B Shichimi Togarashi vs House Shichimi Togarashi

S&B and House Foods are both Japanese companies that make spice and spice-related products such as curry roux, and their popular products include “Shichimi Togarashi (七味唐辛子)”. 

Shichimi Togarashi, literally “Seven Flavors Chili Pepper”, is a traditional Japanese spice blend consisting of ground red chili pepper and other 6 aromatic spices, which can often be seen on the table at Gyudon chains, and Udon and Soba restaurants.

Yes, Shichimi Togarashi is an essential condiment for the Gyudon beef bowl and Udon and Soba noodles and is used by sprinkling on food. 

The Japanese spice mix is not overly spicy and can make what it touches more flavorful and appetizing, and other than Gyudon, Soba, and Udon, many Japanese people like to eat miso soups and Tsukemono pickles with Shichimi Togarashi sprinkled.

S&B Shichimi Togarashi vs House Shichimi Togarashi

In Japan, many food companies are producing and selling Shichimi Togarashi, but among those manufacturers, S&B and House Foods especially have a large market share.

In recent years, their Shichimi Togarashi products can be bought even outside of Japan via the internet, and in fact, their spice mixes have gained a lot of high ratings from Amazon.com customers.

But how do S&B and House Foods’ Shichimi Togarashi spice blends differ? Fortunately, now I have both on hand, so for people who are curious, today I will compare them and share the result.

Ingredients (7 Spices)

First, let’s see the ingredients. As I mentioned above, the first ingredient of every Shichimi Togarashi is ground red chili pepper. So are these.

But the chili pepper in the S&B’s regular Shichimi Togarashi actually consists of roasted and non-roasted, while the House Foods’ regular Shichimi only uses roasted one.

As you may know, in terms of the spices other than red chili pepper, they are varied depending on the maker,

and the Shichimi Togarashi from S&B contains black sesame seeds, “Chinpi (陳皮: dried Mikan mandarin orange peel)”, Sansho pepper, hemp seeds, poppy seeds, and Aonori (green seaweed).

On the other hand, the House Shichimi Togarashi is composed of sesame seeds, Chinpi, Sansho pepper, poppy seeds, Aonori, and ginger. 

Taste 

Taste-wise, the S&B Shichimi Togarashi is well balanced with a fragrant aroma of sesame to it, but its heat is somewhat more intense than the one from House.

Accordingly, the House Shichimi Togarashi has a milder spiciness and is characterized by its pleasant taste mainly from ginger.

Price and Expiration Date

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the S&B’s bottled Shichimi Togarashi (15 grams) is 130 yen (about 1.2 USD), and that of the House Foods (17 grams) is also 130 yen (about 1.2 USD). 

As for the best before date, the S&B Shichimi Togarashi is 36 months in the state of unopened, while the House Shichimi Togarashi is 30 months after the date of production if unopened.

(Reference Pages: SB Foods, House Foods )