Japanese Akita Yellow Curry Powder

Regional Japanese Hot Red Chili Pepper, naturally dried in the sun and milled into a powder. This full flavored chili is harvested at the peak of ripeness to preserve its signature bright red color from a select linage of the finest red chili peppers. This powerful chili pepper originated in Japan after Hideyoshi Toyotomi received them in 1592 as a reward for his service in the Korean Invasion.

Japan has been refining the original British curry recipe since it arrived in Japan over 100 years ago. The modern Japanese culinary scene is saturated with curry stands and it is the second most consummed dish behind sushi. This regional, northern 14-spice yellow curry style, found in Morioka lends this curry to be milder with more emphasis on the umami qualities when its compared to its Indian & Southeast Asian counterparts. Japanese Yellow Curry has a unique flavor profile of both savory and sweet spices, with less heat. The base of this curry, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Coriander and Cumin provide a vegetal aroma and a deep earthy flavor. Cardamom ads the sweetness along with the bright zip of cinnamon. The heat in this regional blend comes from the perfect ratio of black pepper, regional Japanese red chili pepper, ginger root and mustard seed. Fennel seed add the licorice flavor and aroma. This perfectly balanced time-tested balanced ratio of 7 main spices with 7 trace sub spices makes this proprietary concoction a prized tool in a top chef arsenal.

Shichimi Togarashi is a fundamental 7-spice blend with tremendous history and importance throughout Japanese cuisine and represents the history and cultural refinement of this great cuisine. Shichimi Togarashi is a 7 spice blend developed in Edo (Modern Day Tokyo), Japan in 1625. The ingredients were first introduced to the Japanese by Portuguese missionaries around 1605. Over the past 400 years, these spice cultivators and craftsman have been able to refine farming practices and proprietary blending ratios that would make their ancestors proud. The seven prized ingredients that make up Shichimi Togarashi are Bansho Chili Pepper, Chimpi Japanese Mandarin Orange, Goma Toasted Black Sesame, Otane Hemp Seed, Shiso Japanese Basil, Sansho Chili Pepper and Byakukyo Japanese Ginger. The aroma is highlighted by the warmth given off by the chilies and the floral essence of the mandarin orange. The clean spicy flavors of the dried peppers standout, but are balanced with toasted black sesame, hemp seed and herbal characteristics of the dried shiso. The ginger is also a welcomed addition to this blend and offer a different type of spiciness, acidity and subtle sweetness. This blend is a pillar of this revered cuisine.

Mustard plants are very rare in Japan. Japanese mustard seeds are very high quality seeds with powerful aroma & flavors. Wagarashi has a very hot mustard taste opposed to western mustards. Japanese Hot Wagarashi mustard powder consists of only ground yellow/brown Japanese mustard seeds. Traditional hot Japanese mustard is made by only adding water to milled seed powder which yields a very straight forward spicy flavor and allows it to be used well with a variety of other ingredients across many applications.

Furikake was originally developed in Japan around 1912 by a pharmacist as a helpful solution to nutrition deficits. Then it was called Gohan No Tomo, A Friend for Rice. It was then a ground product to be sprinkled on top of cooked rice , vegetables, and fish. Over the last 100 years Furikake has been into the product we know today. Nori Goma Furikake is one of the most popular and basic Furikakes in Japan. Nori Goma Furikake has color , texture and a traditional taste. You get an emerald green look and a fresh sea taste from the small nori squares. A delightful crunch and nutty sesame taste from the Toasted White sesame seeds. A perfect balance of sweet and savory from a dash of sea salt and sugar. Use Aji Nori Furikake as a tasty topping for a variety of dishes.