Kara-Gosho Shichimi Togarashi from Yawataya Isogoro
Following the Zenkoji Gokaicho Soba Manju, I will introduce the Kara-Gosho Shichimi Togarashi this time that I picked up at a souvenir shop in Nagano with the buckwheat confection.
What is Kara-Gosho Shichimi Togarashi?
This Kara-Gosho Shichimi Togarashi (Weight: 12 g/ Price: 980 yen) is a Shichimi Togarashi spice mix blended by Yawataya Isogoro (八幡屋礒五郎), one of Japan’s 3 Best Shichimi Brands.
Unlike their regular Shichimi, the main ingredient of this Shichimi is Kara-Gosho (からごしょう) harvested in Shinano-Machi (信濃町: Shinano Town), Nagano Prefecture.
I first assumed that the Kara-Gosho is a variety of Kosho (胡椒: pepper). But after researching online, I found it one of Nagano’s native species of Togarashi (唐辛子: chili pepper).
Based on this site, the prefecture has 14 native varieties of Togarashi chili peppers, and it appears that Shinanomachi prides itself on Bota-Gosho (ぼたごしょう) and Kara-Gosho.
7 Ingredients (Spices)
As you may know, Shichimi Togarashi generally consists of ground red chili pepper and six other aromatic spices that vary depending on the product.
And the regular Yawataya Shichimi in the red tin can (Weight: 14 g/ Price: 400 yen) has long been a staple in my house. So here, let’s compare the seven ingredients (spices) used in each.
| Kara-Gosho | Togarashi (variety unknown) |
| Chinpi (dried mandarin orange peel) | Chinpi |
| Black sesame seeds | Black sesame seeds |
| Hemp seeds | Hemp seeds |
| Sansho pepper | Sansho pepper |
| Shiso (perilla) | Shiso |
| Ginger | Ginger |
As you can see from the table above, the Karagosho Shichimi Togarashi differs from the regular Yawataya Shichimi only in the first ingredient.
I have no idea what species of Togarashi the usual one uses, but this one is Kara-Gosho, which has a distinct taste different from the original.
Usage
Honestly, I like this Kara-Gosho Shichimi Togarashi more than the regular one because it has a more pleasant taste (kick).
Nonetheless, both can be used the same way and go well on almost any food! (Typical examples include miso soup, Gyudon beef bowl, and Yakitori grilled chicken skewers)
