I came to buy shichimi togarashi as it was running out. Despite being in the midst of the 8th wave of the pandemic, there were a lot of tourists making it difficult to walk. I ordered my usual "extra spicy with extra dried orange peel x2". I can't taste the aroma on the spot like before, but I look forward to opening the package at home and smelling it. I will visit again.

I came to buy shichimi togarashi as it was running out. Despite being in the midst of the seventh wave of the pandemic, there were quite a few tourists. I ordered my usual "extra spicy with lots of dried tangerine peel" and received two. I can't taste the aroma on the spot as before, but I look forward to opening the package at home and smelling the fragrance. I will visit again.

I came to buy shichimi togarashi because it was running out. There aren't as many people in the city as before, but it seems to be gradually returning. I'm worried about Omicron, but... I asked for "two with extra dried orange peel in extra spicy" as usual. I can't taste the aroma on the spot as before, but I look forward to opening the package and smelling it at home. I will visit again.

On the second day of the new year, I visited Sensoji Temple for hatsumode (first shrine visit of the year). After that, I went to this long-established store on Metro Street that specializes in shichimi (seven-spice blend). Due to the pandemic, they had temporarily suspended the blending of spices in-store, but I was happy to see that it was now back in operation. I requested a special blend with plenty of sansho (Japanese pepper) for an extra 100 yen. I was surprised to hear about the price increase for adding more sansho, as it has become more expensive due to factors like unpredictable weather. They used to sell all blends for 500 yen per bag. When I checked, I found out that due to various reasons, many companies have significantly raised prices for sansho since about two years ago. The process of confirming the aroma of the blended spices was also skipped. I received the blended shichimi in a sealed bag and took it home. Upon trying it, I found that it still had the same good aroma, flavor, and spiciness as before. Despite the challenges they face, I hope they can maintain this quality even with a slight price increase.

Since ancient times, "Yagenbori" sesame salt has been on the list of items to buy as a small souvenir! This sesame salt from Yagenbori has the perfect blend of "aosa" seaweed, which is why it is appreciated by those who receive it as a "fragrant sesame salt". Priced at 324 yen (tax included), it is a reasonably priced and delicious product that utilizes the blending techniques of a famous seven-spice shop! Of course, I also have Yagenbori blend the shichimi chili pepper in a Kansai style every time.

I hurried to buy some shichimi spice because I ran out. I like to have it with a lot of sansho pepper, but this time I bought the regular packaged one (spicy/mild for 450 yen) since I arrived just before closing time. It's still delicious! The container for our shichimi at home is a special one I got from Akiba Ichi in Akihabara UDX's restaurant street during their 5th anniversary. Normally, they come in plain black or red versions, but this one has "Akiba Ichi flavor" printed on it. Located on Asakusa Metro Street, right across from Naganichi's sacred place New Light. It's a 3-minute walk from Asakusa Station on the Asakusa Line and Ginza Line, and about a 6-minute walk from Tsukuba EXP Asakusa Station, within a 3-minute walk from Senso-ji Temple. I always thought this place was Kannon Street, but I recently realized that the old name is Asakusa Metro Street, and the arcade roof was later added, turning the arcade part into Kannon Street. Oh, that's why it's not called the "Kannon Street store," but the "Metro Street store"...

I ran out of shichimi togarashi again, so I came to Asakusa to buy some. There are quite a few people here, though not as many as before. (Is it really safe with COVID-19?) I asked for "extra spicy with lots of dried tangerine peel, two bags" this time. When I opened the package at home, it had a great aroma.

I ran out of shichimi togarashi, so I stopped by here as usual. They haven't been doing special blends at the counter for a while. Even though they don't mix it in front of you, they will do it in the back if you ask. I requested my usual order of "extra spicy with extra dried orange peel x2." I couldn't smell it right after they mixed it, but when I got home and smelled it, it had a great aroma. I will definitely be back again.

When I had eel at "Tsuruya" in Shin-Nakamise, I noticed that they had Yagenbori's sansho pepper, which I love. I realized that I was running low on it at home... I should buy some Yagenbori sansho pepper soon! I bought both the regular sansho pepper (12g for 540 yen) and the Western-style shichimi pepper (18g for 432 yen). I already know how delicious sansho pepper is, so I also decided to try the new sensation of the "Western-style shichimi pepper," which includes chili pepper, dried tangerine peel, poppy seeds, garlic, parsley, basil, and oregano. The staff at the shop said it's great on pasta and pizza. It's like a substitute for Tabasco! When I eat pasta or pizza, I tend to put on a ridiculous amount of Tabasco that would make others cringe. This shichimi pepper is perfect for me! By the way, at Yagenbori, they usually mix the shichimi pepper according to the customer's preference, but on the day I visited, perhaps due to the pandemic, this service was not available.

I ran out of shichimi togarashi, but due to the coronavirus situation, I couldn't come to buy it until now. When I asked for my usual "extra spicy with extra dried orange peel," I was told that at the Metro store, they can't mix it in front of me due to the coronavirus. They can do it at the main store. I had walked from Hoppy Street near the main store, so I didn't want to go back, so I ended up getting two bags of pre-mixed extra spicy. I really wanted to enjoy the aroma while they mixed it in front of me. I hope the coronavirus situation ends as soon as possible!

Yagenbori, a seven-spice chili pepper shop in Asakusa♪ This seven-spice is known as one of the "Three Great Seven-Spice Chili Peppers in Japan" along with Hachiman-ya Isogoro in front of Zenkoji Temple and Shichimi-ya Honpo in front of Kiyomizu Temple. I've visited the nearby Shin-Nakamise Main Store several times, but I haven't been to the "Metro Street Store" yet. Let's try visiting a different store once in a while~◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎【Seven-spice Chili Pepper 27g Medium Spicy】540 yen【Seven-spice Chili Pepper 27g Medium Spicy Special Blend】540 yen【Powdered Sansho Pepper 12g】540 yenThere are also ready-made seven-spice chili peppers available, but the staff will quickly mix the seven types of spices and condiments to suit the customer's preferences: black sesame seeds, dried tangerine peel, ichimi togarashi (roasted), ichimi togarashi (red), powdered sansho pepper, poppy seeds, and hemp seeds. The seven-spice chili pepper with a "special blend" seal on the package (see photo) is one where I asked for a bit more sansho pepper. Let's spice up my dull daily life with seven-spice and sansho pepper!

The other day, I stopped by "Yagenbori Metro Street Store" in Asakusa in the morning to run errands. Yagenbori is considered one of the top three shichimi togarashi (seven-flavor chili pepper) in Japan. I've known about the shop on Shin-Nakamise Street for a long time, but this store is new to me. It's my first time here. It's a bit more compact compared to the main store. Today, I was aiming for the "Western-style shichimi" also known as Cook Seven for 400 yen. It has oregano and other herbs mixed in with the seven-flavor chili, and it's really good when sprinkled on pizza or pasta! It's one of my favorite items. I bought one. Later, at home, I sprinkled it on chicken rice... it's delicious. I think it would go well not only with tomato-based or cheese-based pasta but also with cream or oil-based ones. It might also be good with yakisoba or soy sauce-based yakisoba... Since there weren't many other customers in the store, the staff talked to me about various things. In the main store, they have a lot of customers coming in one after another, so you can only buy things without much interaction, so shopping at this store might be more enjoyable. The rice cracker I tried was surprisingly delicious with the combination of sweetness and the spiciness of the seven flavors. Thank you for the treat.

After visiting the Art Aquarium in Nihonbashi and casually passing through Asakusa by car, I stopped by this shop. I had run out of the Nanami (with plenty of sansho pepper) from Yagenbori that I bought last Golden Week, so I immediately placed an order. In fact, I've been getting hooked on Nanami togarashi since buying the medium-spicy (with plenty of sansho pepper) from this shop. I tried the famous Hachimanya Isogoro "Nanami", the citrus-scented Hida sansho "Sansho Nanami", and the strong seaweed-scented Nanbu Ginemon "Nanami", but none could compare to the medium-spicy (with plenty of sansho pepper) from Yagenbori. This time, I ordered the medium-spicy (with plenty of sansho pepper) again, and even went for extra sansho pepper. The staff warned me that too much sansho pepper could throw off the balance and make it bitter, but I couldn't resist my desire. As a hedge, I also purchased the regular medium-spicy (with plenty of sansho pepper). The result was both blends achieving a balance while giving off a strong impact of sansho pepper. Hmm, I'm really hooked on this.

I have a memorable experience of dining at a long-established tempura rice bowl specialty restaurant in the past, where I was impressed by the strong flavor of the Sansho pepper in the shichimi togarashi on the table. Since then, I have tried several shichimi togarashi blends but none of them quite hit the mark. After researching various options, I finally arrived at what I thought was the right place. So I decided to visit this store. When I consulted with the staff at the store, they recommended a medium-spicy blend with plenty of Sansho pepper for people like me who enjoy spicy food. It seems that if you go for the extra spicy blend with lots of Sansho pepper, the spiciness of the chili peppers will overpower the tingling sensation of the Sansho pepper. I decided to purchase both the medium-spicy blend with plenty of Sansho pepper and the extra spicy blend with plenty of Sansho pepper. When I tried them at home, it was close to that amazing feeling I had before! Indeed, the medium-spicy blend brings out the tingling sensation of the Sansho pepper! The extra spicy blend with plenty of Sansho pepper even reminds me of Sichuan mapo tofu. This is also a personal preference. Hmm, it turned out to be a great day for the Golden Week holiday!

I like shichimi togarashi (seven-spice chili pepper). When I eat "mori" at a soba restaurant, I use shichimi instead of wasabi. My favorite soba restaurant, "Kanda Matsuya," has a condiment plate with only scallions, no wasabi in sight. Those who want it can order "fresh wasabi" (50 yen), but I prefer to use regular shichimi at the end. However, at "Namikiyabu Soba," the condiment plate for "zaru soba" comes with scallions and real wasabi already prepared. The area around "Yagenbori Shichimi Togarashi Honpo Metro Store" is lively with tourists from various countries. They have shichimi togarashi in different levels of spiciness, and I always buy the medium one. A new product called "shichimi togarashi soso-kara" caught my eye, and I bought it to try with my warm soba. It has a refreshing spiciness that I really like. Shichimi togarashi doesn't last long in the fridge, but I always keep some on hand from Yagenbori, Shichimiya Honpo, and Shimada Noriten. Today, I made thick udon from Kotatei Seimen in Iwate, and topped it with shichimi togarashi soso-kara. It was delicious!

I'll have my usual order of "extra spicy with extra dried tangerine peel," two bags please. The smell is as wonderful as always. (^O^) I'll be back again.

I ordered my usual, two dishes with "extra spicy, extra dried tangerine peel". I still think that this restaurant's shichimi togarashi is the best. (^O^) I will definitely come back again.

They mix it in the store, so it has a nice aroma. I will visit again when it runs out.

As soon as the store opened, I ordered my usual "extra spicy, extra dried tangerine peel, two bags". The aroma is still wonderful as always. I will definitely visit again.

This is the first time I've been here since June. So, does that mean I've been coming here at a pace of once every six months with two bags each time?